


TLOU Mini-Series Part 2 : The Road to California

by carl_solo



Series: Mini-Series : The Cabin in the Woods [2]
Category: Mini-Series : ( The Road to California), The Last of Us
Genre: Action/Adventure, Age Difference, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama & Romance, F/M, Some Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-02-13 04:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 34,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12976146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carl_solo/pseuds/carl_solo
Summary: Story Summary: This is a continuation of the ( Cabin in the woods) story. Ellie and Joel continue their mission, after the break they get on the cabin. The way to California, is a long one and winter is close now. But the have a new way to see their journey. Do they going to make it, to their destination, or something else is awaiting for them, before they get there.





	1. Relationship

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention. 
> 
> Warning: This story is rated M for languish and violence in some chapter, also can contain some smutty chapters, I not sure how many yet, maybe just one, but the warning still on. Most of the story is just T. Now this little Fiction story includes: age difference relationship romance, but Ellie is 20 in this one, so she is an adult. If you read the first part, then you know all that. 
> 
> A/N: Ok, now this is going to be a continuation of the story (Cabin in the woods). Is a sequel, but is going to be like a series, with 3 or 4 part of 10 at 12 chapters each one. Well that is my plan for now, I LYK if all that change on the way. So this is going to be the second one, of the series, and is going to continue 2 weeks after the first one. Even that this is a sequel, this one or the other part are going to contain, in some chapter, flashback or description, of Ellie and Joel before they found the cabin in the first one. For the people that read the first one, I hope you like this one as much you like the other one. For the new ones, you need to read the first one first before start this one. Thanks always for the support, and read my stories, hope you liked.

**Chapter 1 : Relationship**

 

***Two Weeks Later***

  


It’s now the middle of November, and the cold of the almost-winter has started to kick in.  As Joel and Ellie continue their journey to find the guy they need in California, they cross the little mountain where, after the forest, they found the cabin. Then they take the road that is going to take them to the middle of the state of Idaho.  They're now using more layers of clothing to keep the cold at bay, as the farther north they move, the worse the cold gets.. Lucky for them, they get to find some abandoned places, or cars to sleep in, during the night.  The rains have stopped now, replaced by the snow that is starting to fall.  It’s not much for now, but enough to start to make the journey more difficult for them.  Joel wants to cross these states before the real snow starts to fall and storms start to hit the road.  But he knows that it’s going to be a long way before they do that, especially if they need to avoid the big cities.  Joel always tells Ellie that it’s better to avoid any problems with infected or gangs that normally populate those places.  Now, although their mission is still the same, their journey has changed a little… After the few days they spent in that cabin they found in the forest, something new happened there that is going to change what they have for the rest of their lives.  Not only did they take a little break from their mission, but Joel proposed to Ellie.  Their journey is going to be a little different now. 

Joel and Ellie have been together for five years now, always partners and companions to each other.  They’ve protected each other and cared for one another all that time, even after Joel needed to confess to Ellie what he’d done in Salt Lake City.  It was hard for Ellie and Joel after that.  Even though he knew that Ellie was going to be mad at him, Joel didn't expect Ellie to move to Tommy and Maria’s house to get away from him.  That was only for a short time, but it was hard for him to stay away from her so she could clear her mind.  After a few months, she forgave him and moved back to their house so they could be together again -- because above all, she loved him as much he loved her, and it was hard for her not being able to be with him.  After they got back together, they continued with the work they’d been doing in Jackson, which kept them distracted, and after a while, things went back to normal.  Well, as normal as can be in a fucked up world, but being in Jackson was a relief.  Joel’s life changed as he learned to love Ellie during their journey to the Fireflies.  At first, it felt like he was replacing his lost daughter, but in time, she became more than that.

Ellie was strong and smart for her age, and more mature than other kids, so Joel started to see her more as a partner than a daughter.  He knew that he could count on her to have his back, and he did the same for her, so their relationship grew to be more.  Joel found that weird in some ways -- how a man of his age could start to feel attracted to a young girl like her... not so much a physical attraction, but emotional, too.  Sometimes it made him feel sick, what a pervert he could be, and that felt so wrong, but he couldn't explain why he felt that way for her.  He started to feel like Ellie was his anchor, the light at the end of the tunnel, something he never felt before.  Yes, he loved his girlfriend when he was in high school, but he was a teenager back then. But after she got pregnant, and he had to marry her, all of that changed.  After Sarah was born, he tried to save his marriage, but all of that went to shit when his wife left them.  And even with all the love he felt for his little girl, his love life was over, and he thought that he was never going to feel that way with someone again.  

In Ellie’s case, things were different: she never saw Joel as a father figure.  At first, she saw him as a protector and companion, and after they got back to Jackson from the Firefly trip, she saw him more as a friend and a partner.  That was good for her, because she never had someone so close that stayed with her for so long.  Ellie never felt loved... at least, not really… she never knew her mother, and never had someone to take care of her or love her the way Joel loved her.  Sure, she had Marlene at some point -- she kept an eye on her, but never cared for her like a mother.  Marlene was only checking on her from time to time, because she promised her mother she would keep her safe.  But during her young life, between all the foster homes that she went to and the military school, she never felt loved.  Ellie never had any romantic relationships, and even though she loved Riley at one point, they never got too far.  They were best friends when she ended up at the military school, but even then, Riley was more into the Fireflies, just like Marlene.  But after Ellie showed her how she felt about her by kissing her, all of that went to hell when they got attacked by infected and they got separated, Riley dying and Ellie surviving.  A few weeks after that, she met the man that would change her life forever.     

After the incident with the Fireflies, they went back to Jackson to start a new life.  Ellie started to see him as a friend and a partner.  Living with him and being part of his family was something new for her.  She started to feel how much he loved her, and how much she loved him back, and after a year of living in the town with Joel’s brother. Ellie started to feel for the first time that she belonged to a place... where she’d be loved.  Joel was always close to her, trying to keep an eye on her to make sure that she was fine.  Joel lived for a long time watching his back, and trying not to get close to people, so even though they were in a place that they could be safe, he didn't trust the people there.  After Maria and Tommy gave them their own house, Ellie and Joel got closer.  Joel always tried to be sure that she had a normal life, but what is normal in this world? She always found it funny, what people did in the old days -- things that didn’t make sense to her.  

At first, Joel was the only person in town that she trusted, so she didn’t get close to anyone, except for Tommy and Maria, but Joel insisted that she needed to make some friends.  She didn’t want to make friends at first, because she knew that any time she got close to someone, it didn’t last.  But Joel explained to her that in a place like Jackson, things were different, so she tried, and in time, she made some friends.  Joel got a few himself; even though he said that they were just buddies from work, she knew that he got close to one or two of them.  Relationships were weird to her… she always watched how Maria and Tommy showed their love for each other, and how they trusted one another.  Even some of her new friends had someone to share their lives with, so she started to think about her own.  How she was going to have one, or if she really wanted one.  How was that going to work?  Even if she found someone, she was infected, and the only ones who knew that were Joel, Tommy, and Maria.  Of course, they had to tell Gabriella -- she was the doctor in town.  Maria insisted that Ellie needed to be checked out, just to be sure that she can't infect other people by accident.  So a few days after they arrived at Jackson, they took Ellie to the doctor, and just let her know only what she needed to know.  Maria and Tommy insisted that was better for the town if no one knew about Ellie’s condition. After the doctor checked her and did some tests, she said that her condition was rare, and the infection she was carrying was not going to affect others, even by saliva or blood.  So she told them that Ellie can have a normal life, and even have a family of her own someday if she wanted.  

After a year in town, Maria tried to talk to Ellie about boys, and how when she got older, she was going to want to find someone to share her life with.  Ellie tried not to seem like a weirdo… _but Jesus, the only one I ever kissed was a girl, and the only man I really love is Joel,_ _so what kind of relationship am I going to have?_ She tried to talk to Joel about what Maria told her, but Joel wasn’t too happy to hear her talking about boys.  He told her that she was too young and that she needed to wait for that.  She thought that he was trying to be a protective father, even if Ellie didn't see him like that.  But it felt good to have him at her side, always caring for her as no one ever had before, so that made her happy.

Joel not only gave her his love, he also gave her a family -- something she thought she was never going to have.  Marlene always kept an eye on her, and made sure that she was okay, but she was never her family.  When they started to live in their own house, she had her own room, but Joel always made sure that she felt safe and happy.  And when she had a nightmare or something, he always let her sleep with him in his bed, and he comforted her.  In time, Ellie started to love that, and sometimes went to sleep in his room under the pretense that she had a nightmare, even when she didn’t.  As their relationship grew on both of them, Ellie started to worry for him, and any time he needed to go to the dam to work, or to go hunting.  She always wanted to go with him to keep an eye on him and watch his back, but the town rule was not to let people who were under age outside.  Ellie didn't see how that applied to her; she was more mature than even some adults in town.  For some reason, Joel agreed with Maria and Tommy and wanted to keep her inside the fence, with the excuse of keeping her safe.  In time, she found out that one of the reasons to keep her inside was because of the Fireflies.  So after that, she made him tell her what really happened in the hospital in Salt Lake City.  Joel didn't have any other choice but to tell her the truth, and the reason why he did it, and that almost ended their relationship, when Ellie got mad at him.  But after a month, she knew that she couldn't live without him -- that he was her life -- so she decided to put everything that happened in the past.    

After Ellie turned 18, she started to go out of town with Joel; now that she could, she wanted to spend more time with him, hunting or doing patrol.  As the time passed, she felt closer to him.  His care and love for her started to become more to Ellie.  She even got jealous when Tommy tried to fix Joel up with some of the single girls in town.  At first, she didn't know why she felt like that; Joel made her so happy, so she should have wanted the same for him.  She knew that he was a single man, and that he had needs... she knew that he hadn’t been with a woman since he lost Tess.  She didn't know what exactly they were to each other, but she knew that they were together at the time she met them; of course, Joel didn't want to talk about that.  But she knew that Joel was so happy, just living with her.  Of course, it wasn’t the same, but Joel told her that he didn’t have much interest in finding a woman for that, and that he was okay, just with her. But anyway, Ellie always made sure that those women lost interest in him as soon as they tried to get close to him.  Joel found that amusing sometimes, just to watch Ellie do something to make sure that those girls went away -- and later, to convince Joel that he didn't need a woman like them.  Joel didn't understand why she did that, but sometimes he thought that maybe Ellie was afraid that he was going to cast her aside if he found someone to share this new life with.      

But after Ellie turned 19, her whole life would change.  She started to figure out that the love she felt for him was more than simple affection.  But she needed to know for sure, and to find out if Joel felt the same way for her.  She knew that he loved her, but as she was too young, she knew that that was going to be a problem for him, to show any kind of romantic affection.  So she needed to come up with a plan to find out if Joel felt the same way she did about him.  Ellie started to make sure that Joel now looked at her more like a woman than a young girl, but sometimes, she didn't know how.  So she asked Maria for some advice on how to get a person to notice her in a romantic way.  Of course, she made sure not to give away who she wanted to apply that knowledge to.  After a month, she made a plan to find out if Joel had romantic feelings for her.  And after the Halloween party they had in Jackson, she found out how much Joel loved her.  After that, they started a new relationship, but for a while, they needed to keep that a secret; they didn't know how Maria and Tommy were going to react to all that.  So for a whole year, they kept their relationship to themselves.     

 


	2. A place to pass the night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel and Ellie continue their way to California, but as winter is close they need a place to pass the cold of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 2 : A place to pass the night**

  
  
  


Ellie is on her horse, lost in thought, looking at the ring that Joel gave her 2 weeks ago.  She can't believe that Joel did that (well, she was hoping for that moment to come, someday).  Seeing Joel’s face when he came to the room that morning, after they had their little anniversary celebration at that cabin, was priceless.  Joel always had some reservations about what he was doing with Ellie at first, because of the age difference.  When they started to have whatever they had back then, Joel didn't feel so good about having a relationship with a 19-year-old girl.  But Ellie made sure that it was okay for her and that he didn't need to be worried; she was an adult and it was her choice, so after some time, he started to be more comfortable with it.  Ellie didn't care about that too much; she only knew that she loved him and she was happy with what they had.  Ellie was so happy when Joel gave her the ring and asked her to be his wife.  She was a little surprised at first, because she knew that Joel was worried about what his brother and Maria were going to say.  They were  keeping their relationship hidden, since some people back in Jackson didn't really care about other people's business, but some others did.  Some people tried to live there as they did before the infection, so for a man in his fifties to be with a 19-year-old girl was wrong.  Ellie understood Joel’s worry, but she didn't care about that.  She loved Joel and he loved her; that was the only thing that mattered to her.  But the impression that Maria and Tommy had was that Joel was living with Ellie as his daughter, even though Joel told them that she wasn’t like that for him.  He told them that he was never going to try to replace Sarah with Ellie, but he let them know that he loved her and cared for her that much. 

Ellie doesn't know what Maria and Tommy are going to think or say when they find out.  For now, they’ve managed to keep their relationship a secret, but when they get back, they need to tell them.  They are lucky that their house isn’t close to anyone in town, which assures them of  their privacy, so no one knows what they do inside the house.  But trying not to do anything suspicious in front of Maria and Tommy is really hard.  Now that Joel proposed to her and she accepted, they had no other choice than to tell them that they're married.  In a way -- because Joel said that they need to make that official, like in the old days.  Ellie doesn't care about having their marriage on paper; in her eyes, they are married now, so she is happy no matter what.  They just hope that Tommy and Maria understand and don't get too mad about that, especially at Joel. The last thing they need is for Tommy try to kill him, or at least throw him out of town.  Even if Tommy and Maria think that what they’re doing is wrong, it’s her decision, and she loves him no matter what.  Anyway, whatever happens, Joel already told her that they can go back to the cabin that they found, and live there.  It wouldn’t be the same, but at least she’d have Joel at her side, and that is enough for her.

Ellie is still watching her hand, thinking about what the future awaiting them.  Now she can call him her husband and he can call her his wife, but she knows that he is going to call her Ellie, and she’ll still call him Joel -- the only difference now is that it’s going to be official.  She moves her head now and looks at the front of the road.  They are following the route # 86 that crosses the southern part of the state of Idaho.  The main road is blocked in some parts by a lot of abandoned cars.  So Joel tells Ellie that it’s better for them and the horse to ride on the side of the road.  Also, that way they can avoid any people if they see anyone coming from that direction.  He also tells her that the military are still sending patrols to find some places that they can trade, or looking for what remained of the Fireflies.  After what happened in Salt Lake City all those years ago, the Fireflies are nearly extinct now, so the military doesn't bother that much with trying to find them.  But there are still hunters and gangs out there that can be trouble for them, so it’s better that they keep themselves in the trees -- that can give them more cover to hide.  Ellie smiles at the thought of how Joel can be a strong and tough man.  He is sometimes so sweet -- well, to her, anyway, so sometimes she feels so special.  She turns her head back to her hand, and touches the ring again.  It’s simple but beautiful, and Ellie smiles to herself, trying to imagine how Joel took some time to find that.  Ellie is lost in thought again when she is interrupted by Joel calling her.  

“Hey, kiddo!  Have you been listening to me?” asks Joel as soon as he gets close to her.  He’s been calling her for a few minutes, trying to get her attention, but it seems like she was on another planet.  

Ellie turns her head back toward Joel, who is now beside her.  “What!” she says, looking at him with lost eyes.

“Are you okay?  Because I’ve been calling you for a while and you didn't answer me.”

“Oh… sorry, I was just thinking, and lost track of the time,” says Ellie, smiling at him now.

“Thinking… umm!  That always ends  badly for me, so do I need to worry?  You`re not regretting saying yes to me… are you?  I mean, you were so happy when--” Joel starts to ask, nervous as a teenage boy, trying not to think that Ellie was reconsidering being his wife.  But Ellie quickly shuts him up when she grabs him by the shirt and gives him a deep kiss on the mouth.  

After a minute, Ellie breaks the kiss and looks deep in his eyes.  “Are you kidding me?  Joel, being your wife is the best thing that’s happened to me on this trip, so why would I regret that?”  Then Ellie puts one hand on the side of his face, and smiles at him. “I love you with all my heart, and nothing is going to change that.”

“I love you too, kiddo, but you scared me for a moment there,” says Joel, smiling back.  

“You!  Scared, really?  Well, I'm flattered that I can get that feeling out of you, because I thought that nothing can scare you, at least not that easily,” says Ellie, laughing a little, while she moves her hand back to grab the horse’s reins.  “But seriously, what did you want to tell me?”

Joel looks at her, but has to pull the reins of his horse when he starts to move away from Ellie’s horse.  When he stills his horse, he looks at Ellie again, remembering what he’s going to say.

“Oh… right, well, it’s going to get dark soon, so it’s going to be a good idea to find a place to pass the night, as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, right, that is a good idea.  So, any suggestions?  Or are we going to start looking at the road to see if we can find a car or a truck to pass the night?” says Ellie, pointing at the road that is on the other side of the tree line where they stopped with their horses.

“I doubt that any of those cars are going to work -- they’re too far damaged for us to sleep in them.  But I think that I saw a transmission antenna, beyond those little mountains over there, a few minutes ago,” says Joel, pointing in the direction of the mountain where he saw the antenna.

“An antenna?  What are we going to do there?  Those things are just all open.  There’s no way we’re going to be protected from the cold under that,” says Ellie, trying to make her point.  

“Yeah, normally they are, but I'm not talking about a regular one.  If this one is like a radio transmitter, those are always close to a building station or something like that.  So maybe it’s a  good idea to go there and check that out.  It’s just like an hour from here,” says Joel, looking at her, waiting for her answer.

Ellie takes a look at the distance and starts thinking, _Okay, we don't know if we’re going to find a building there, and finding a car that is in good condition to sleep in is a closer solution.  But if we indeed find a building there, it’s going to be a better place to pass the night for us, and the horses, too_.  Ellie then looks back at Joel to give him her answer.  “Okay, let's go there and check.  We’re still going to have time to find a good car, in case we don’t find anything there.”

“Okay, let's go,” says Joel, smiling, and starting to move his horse forward in the direction where he saw the antenna.

They keep moving alongside the road, then 10 minutes later, they have to take their horses deeper into the forest.  Ellie is silent for a little while, still just lost in thought.  Joel doesn't know if something is bothering her, but it’s rare that she doesn't talk; she always has something to say or ask, so maybe she’s just tired.  They’ve been walking on the horses almost all day with just a little time to rest.  But if Joel is correct and this place has a building close by that’s in good shape, they can have a good rest tonight.  

“Hey, kiddo, are you okay?  You’ve been silent all day and that’s rare for you,” asks Joel, moving his horse close to Ellie's so he can talk to her more directly.

“Oh, sorry Joel, I was just thinking again.  Do you think that we’re going to get to California before the weather gets worse?  Because the winter season is going to start in a month,” says Ellie without looking at him.

Joel looks at her for a moment, trying to think of what to say, as he’s not sure of the answer.  He traveled a lot during the first years, after the virus started.  But most of the time, he did his work in the east part of the country, and some in the middle; he didn't travel much to the west part.

“Well, we need to check the maps, as soon as we find a place to rest for the night.  But my guess is that we’re going to get there at the end of December, if we don't have any delays,” Joel starts to explain to her.

“HOLY SHIT, JOEL, that’s a long time.  I don't think that Tommy was expecting us to be out here that long,” says Ellie, trying to lower her voice after yelling the first part.

“Yeah, I know, but if my calculations are correct, it’s going to take us like 2 more weeks to get out of Idaho, and like 4 more to cross Oregon and enter California,” explains Joel as they move through the woods.

They continue on horseback through the woods for 40 minutes until they find the trail that will take them to the antenna.  By the time they get close to the thing, the antenna is more visible, so now Joel can see how rusty and damaged the antenna is.  But he doesn’t need to care about that too much, because they only need the building that must be close to that to pass the night.  If they don’t find something there, then they need to find another place.  They can try to find a decent car or something to sleep in, but the poor horses are the ones that suffer more, as they have to stay in the cold.  Ellie always covers them with some sheets they have to try to keep them warm, but the nights are getting colder now, and sometimes the horses don't get warm enough.

On the way to the place, they see some vehicles: a few rusty cars, and two abandoned trucks, but the back door of those are damaged or broken, so it’s not going to be good for keeping the cold out.  They talk a little more this time.  Ellie asks him about a few things, and about the man they are looking for; Joel answers some of her questions, but he is more aware of his surroundings.  Joel also looks at the ground to check for any mark or indication that someone has been here, so that way, he can be sure that they’re not going to find any threat as soon as they arrive at the place.  

Ellie sees how Joel is looking around and gets a little concerned, so she moves her horse closer to Joel so she can ask him if something is wrong. “What do you think we’re going to find there?” she asks while they continue forward on the little road.

“If we’re lucky, just a radio station.  Those were big enough for a few people to work there,” answers Joel, looking at her now.

“Did they transmit any movies or shows there?  Or something like that?  Maria told me about those when we talked about all the weird things that you people did in your time,” says Ellie with some curiosity, but more like just making conversation.

“Ha,ha,ha, no, those were TV stations.  Those are a completely different kind, and all of them are in the cities.  Here in the country it was more like radio shows or music and--” Joel starts to explain but stops when he sees the metal fence gate in the distance.

He quickly grabs Ellie’s arm to indicate for her to stop, too.  Then he starts to get down off the horse, and tie the horse to a tree.  Ellie starts to do the same.  He starts to move away from the horse, but turns around to face Ellie.  “I will check this out -- stay with the horses and keep your gun ready, just in case.”  

“But--” she starts to protest but stops when she sees the look that Joel gives her.  “Okay, fine, just call if you need me,” answers Ellie quickly while she goes to her bag and takes out her gun.

Joel walks close to the metal gate and sees that the gate is secured with a padlock and chains, so he starts to move around and see some of the signs that are hanging there.  Most of them are unreadable now, but he sees one that says, **Idaho emergency broadcast system station.** Well, maybe this wasn’t as big as a radio station, but he knows that those are big enough for them.  He starts to look inside the fence, and sees the building in the distance.

“Do you think that this place is good for us?” asks Ellie behind him.

“Fuck, girl, do you want to give me a heart attack?” says Joel after he jumps a little and turns around to look at her.  “Did I not tell you to wait by the horses until I check this out?”

“Yeah, you did, but I don't see any danger, and you were taking too long to get back.  So I decided to come and check on you,” says Ellie, looking at him with a questioning expression on her face. “What!”

“Well, it looks good from here, but we might have a little problem getting into the building,” says Joel, pointing at the other side of the fence -- where they can now see some infected moving close to the building.

“Fuck!”


	3. The Sound of Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Joel and Ellie found a place to stay for the night, the need to fight for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention. 
> 
> A/N: I just want to let you know that even that most of people here in PR are still with out power. The power on my block come up 2 weeks ago, that is great. But I still with out internet at home so, I have to go to the mall, to work on this or a little at my work. So I will try to do the best I can to work on both story. Thanks for reading my story and I wish every one a very good Christmas Eve. Thanks

**Chapter 3 : The Sound of Evil**

  
  
  
  


_ Fuck, why can’t things ever be simple? _ says Ellie to herself when she sees the infected inside the fence.  Yeah, they’d been lucky so far, not encountering any infected -- at least not a big number of them -- since they got out of Jackson.  But in this world, your luck can run out any time.  Ellie just stays looking inside the fence, checking the situation.  Of course they need a place to pass the night,  _ but is this going to work?  _ They have fought against many infected before, but they haven't seen this many for a long time, and they don't have too many bullets to waste here.  It’s better not to get into any dangerous situation if they don’t have to.

“So what do you think, kiddo, do we go and find another place to pass the night or do we try to find a way to handle this?” asks Joel, looking now at the place and checking how many infected are in there.

“How many more do you think there are -- I mean the ones we can't see?” asks Ellie, looking at him now.

“I don't know... this is just a broadcast station so there’s not supposed to be so many people in here.  I mean, if they got infected here, and from what I can see… outside, it looks like more than a dozen runners, and a couple of clickers.  That’s not going to be much problem for us, if we do this the right way, but we don't have too much ammunition to waste on this, and we don't know if there are more inside,” says Joel, without looking at her.  

Then Ellie moves away from the fence and walks toward the horses.  Joel looks at Ellie and follows her, not knowing what is on her mind.  When they arrive where the horses are, Ellie unties them from the tree and starts to move them a little away from the place.  The horses start to get agitated by the sound of the clickers that start to scream.  When they are at a safe distance, Ellie starts to speak. 

“Well, this looks like a good place to pass the night.  The horses can sleep inside too, so it’s going to be good for them.  I know that there are too many, but we've been in worse situations than this.  So my suggestion is that we go for it,” says Ellie, looking at Joel and waiting for what he’s going to say.     

“Okay, if you're sure of this, let do it, but we need to play this right. The gate is well-chained, so that means that someone locked them in.  The question is why?”

“Well, that would explain why there are so many in there, and why the fence is still intact.  Unless the fence is damaged at the back of the place... maybe it’s a good idea to check that first.” 

“Okay then, you go and take the horses away from here, and tie them close to the car that we passed earlier, and l’ll go to check the back part of the place, to see if the fence is damaged there.  Then we’ll come back here and make a plan, okay?” says Joel, starting to walk away.   

“Okay, that sounds good… oh wait, one more thing.” Then Ellie walks close to him, and gives him a little kiss on the lips.  “Just be careful, okay?” she says and walks toward the horses.

“Hey!  Don't worry... it’s me,” Joel says, smiling at her and winking.

Ellie rolls her eyes, but smiles a little at Joel’s comment.  As Joel moves to the back of the fence, Ellie takes the horses to a safe distance.  Joel walks through the trees and gets to the back of the place in no time.  The fence that surrounds the building is not too big in the back, and the space between the fence and the building wasn’t much, either.

 Just in the front part there’s more space between the front gate and the building, because they have a small parking lot there.  Joel looks at the place and only sees a couple of infected there, but the fence is intact in the back, too… so he thinks that it’s impossible for a place like this to have too many people inside to get infected, or to be there for long.  The only explanation that he can think of is that someone locked the infected in there.  And the chain and padlock that he sees isn’t too rusty yet, so whoever did this didn’t do it too long ago.   

After 15 minutes of checking the place, Joel gets back to where Ellie took their horses.  She is ready beside them with her gun out and some other things.  When Ellie hears Joel approaching, she puts the gun in the back of her jeans and walks toward him.

“Well, that was fast -- did you find something in the back?” asks Ellie as soon as she gets close to him.

“The fence is not damaged in the back, either, and I only see a few more infected there, so they’re trapped in there,” says Joel, pointing at the building. 

“Okay, so that means that someone trapped them there... that’s weird, don’t you think?  Okay then, what’s the plan?” asks Ellie quickly.  

“A distraction,” answers Joel, looking at the expression on her face. 

“A distraction?” asks Ellie, surprised and with curiosity, waiting for Joel to explain what he means by that.

“Yeah, a distraction.  Okay, this is what we’re going to do.  You go to the back and make some noise to attract the infected back there, while I go to the front gate and break the lock.  Then I will attract them to the front, and when they start to come out of there, I throw a Molotov at them and kill as many as I can.  After that, we can handle the rest with our knives.  That way, we only use our guns if it’s really necessary,” Joel explains to Ellie. 

“Joel, are you serious?  I don't like that plan -- there’s too many, and even if you kill a few with the Molotov, it’s going to be hard to kill the rest.  Especially the clickers, and you’re not fast enough now to outrun those fuckers.  Also, it’s going to take a little time for me to get back to the front to help you, and you can't handle all that alone,” says Ellie, looking at him. 

“What!  You don't think that I can handle that?  Or you’re implying that I'm too old for this? Because I’ve killed a lot of those things just by myself, so don't worry, I can do this,” says Joel, moving toward his horse with a serious expression on his face, then he picks up a bat with some hobnail on it.  He already has his knife and his gun, just in case.

Ellie moves quickly to his side and hugs him from behind.  “Joel, don't get mad, okay, I don't mean it like that, it’s that… I just… care about you so much... and don't want anything to go wrong… and… I...” Ellie starts to explain herself, but just gets lost in the words of how to express her fear of losing him.

Joel turns around and puts his hand around Ellie’s body, and hugs her back.  “I know that you get scared for me, kiddo, but we've been doing this for a long time.  As long as we do this together, everything is going to be fine, okay?”  Then Joel lifts her face up with his hand and kisses her on the lips.  Not a long one as Ellie would like, but long enough to make her feel better.

Their embrace is interrupted by the evil sound of the clickers.  “Okay, let's do this, but be careful, okay, Joel?  I don’t want to lose my husband after two weeks of our marriage, okay?” says Ellie, slapping his butt and smiling, then she starts walking to the back of the place. 

“Ohhh that’s cute, but don't worry, kiddo, this is a piece of cake,” says Joel, grabbing a 

hammer out of his bag and walking toward the front gate.

 

(30 minutes later)

_ Fuck, why does something always go wrong?  _ Ellie says to herself as she pulls her knife out of the head of an infected woman that just jumped at her a few moments ago.  They’ve been fighting the infected for 20 minutes now, but it feels like an eternity.  After she drops the infected to the ground, Ellie starts looking for Joel; he was fighting some infected close to the gate a few minutes ago.  Their plan was simple, but it didn’t go so well when all of the infected went after Joel at the same time.  Ellie tried to kill some of them when she distracted them at the fence, to give Joel more time and less infected to kill.  But no -- they just ran to the front when Joel made too much noise breaking the lock.  So as soon as the gate was opened, Ellie started to run there to help him. 

Ellie grabs another infected that is going to bite her, then she stabs the infected in the neck with her knife and pushes him away, watching him fall down.  _ Yeah, take that, motherfucker -- one less infected to deal with, and now I need to find Joel before something happens to him _ .  She is taken out of her thoughts when she hears the evil scream of a clicker.  And when she looks in the direction of the scream, she sees Joel on the ground, fighting with one of them.  She starts to run to where he is, but sees four infected moving toward her... to attack her.  

“Fuck, I don't have time for this!...” As soon as the infected get close to her, Ellie takes out her 9mm gun and starts shooting the infected in the head.  She kills them all with minimal ammo, and as soon as she sees the last one drop dead, she starts to run again in Joel’s direction.  When she gets close, she sees that Joel is still fighting the clicker.  Ellie’s face turns white in fear when she sees the clicker move his head down to bite Joel on the neck. 

“Nooooooo…!” Ellie  screams as she moves close and points her gun at the clicker’s head. 

Joel hears her scream and looks to his side to see her.  He is still holding back the clicker with his bat.  He knows what she is going to do, so he gathers some strength and pushes the clicker’s head up a few inches, and turns his head to the other side.  As soon as he does that,  Ellie pulls the trigger of her gun and shoots the monster in the head several times.  After Joel feels the thing go numb, he pushes the clicker away from him and lays back down in the grass.   _ Shit, that was fucking close,  _ he says to himself, trying to get some air back to his lungs. 

As Ellie gets close to him, she notices that he has a cut on his left arm that looks like a bite.   _ Oh, no, no, no, no, please don't be a bite, don't be a bite _ …she says to herself as she kneels beside him and puts her gun down, and looks at the wound on his arm.

Joel sees the expression on her face, so he talks quickly.  “It’s okay, kiddo, it’s not a bite wound.” Then he starts to lift himself up to a sitting position.

“Fuck, Joel, you scared the shit out of me -- I almost thought that... you got bitten,” she says, wiping some tears that are falling from her eyes with the back of her hand. 

Joel quickly grabs her, pulls her close to him, and hugs her.  “It’s okay, baby, I'm fine... we're fine, we’ll kill all those fuckers, okay, you don't need to worry.”  He lets go of her and looks in her eyes.  “Okay, let’s go and check what’s inside,” says Joel, trying to calm her down a little.

“Fuck, Joel, that was a stupid plan -- you almost got killed,” says Ellie after he lets go of her and starts to get up.  She follows suit and stands up, too.  After both of them are up, she speaks again.  “Joel, I need to dress your wound before we do something else, okay?” 

“It’s fine, kiddo, it’s not that bad, it was just a little cut I gave myself with the nails on the bat.  I will go to check the door while you go and get the horses, okay?” Joel tells her, then walks in the direction of the gate to enter inside the fence and head toward the building.   

“Fine… but I’ll work on your wound as soon as we get settled inside, okay?” she says to him, almost yelling while she sees him getting inside the fence.

“Okay,” he answers back from the distance.

After 10 minutes, Ellie arrives with the horses, and sees that Joel is still trying to open the front door of the building; it seems to be locked from inside, or blocked.   

“Do you need help with that?” asks Ellie while she releases the horses’ reins and moves closer.

“No, I got it,” says Joel, giving a few more hits with the hammer -- and the door lock breaks loose.  “See, no problem.”  He starts to open the door to go inside when Ellie grabs his arm and stops him. 

“I go first -- we need to be sure that there’s no spores inside, and since that doesn’t affect me, it’s better if I go in front, just in case,” says Ellie as she starts to move inside, not giving Joel time to protest.  

The place isn’t that big: just a few offices that are to the side of the main corridor, and as they continue, they see a small cafeteria and the bathroom.  At the end of the corridor is another room; this one looks bigger, so Joel assumes that that’s supposed to be the transmission room.  They go to the door of the room and open it.  Ellie looks inside the room, but doesn't see any infected or spores there.  Both of them enter the room and start to check it out.  The place is quiet, and they haven’t found any dead bodies, either. 

 After a few minutes, Joel sees a door that leads to a basement, but he decides to check that later, since the door is locked… not like the other room, where the door was closed, but not locked.  He moves to the center of the room where the monitor and computer are, and some other machines that were used to transmit emergency information in the old days.      

After he finishes looking inside the room, he looks at Ellie. “Okay, this place looks clean enough, so go and get the horses and bring them inside.  I think that we found a decent place for us to pass the night.”   


	4. Old Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After they finish with the infected, they start to check the place out, and get ready for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention. 
> 
> Hi, here is the last chapter for the 2017, so this is up, just before the year end. Thanks for reading and I wished all a Happy new year, and hope that you get good thing for the new one. Thanks

**Chapter 4 : Old Memories**

  
  
  
  


After they do a quick check of the place, Ellie goes outside, brings the horses inside, and puts them in one of the rooms.  The room is almost empty, just a small desk and a few small boxes, so there is a good place for the horses to pass the night and not get cold.  Ellie takes all their things off the horses and puts them on the floor, so that they can rest better.  Then she takes a few things and brings them to the big room at the end of the corridor where Joel said they were going to pass the night.  When Ellie enters the room with the things they’re going to need to sleep and pass the night, Joel is there.  He’s already moved some of the things that were there so that they can have more space to put their sleeping bags and other things.  The place is a little messy, and has a lot of dust, so it seems that no one’s been here for a long time.  Joel decides to prepare the room first, then go to see if he can find anything that they can use, or any food.     

“I don't get it.  This place looks like nobody’s been here for years, and even though it’s a little messy here and there, there’s no sign of infected or bodies.  So why were all those infected trapped outside?” says Joel as soon as he sees Ellie enter the room.

Ellie puts the things on the floor, walks close to Joel, and helps him to move a table. “Well, I don't know, maybe someone was living here when the infected started to arrive at this place,” answers Ellie while they put the table in a corner of the room.  The only thing that stays there is the electronic console with the computer on it.

“Well, if that’s the case, where are the bodies?  And that doesn’t explain why the infected were locked outside, and this building was closed from inside.  I checked the other room -- the one next to where you put the horses -- and it looks like somebody turned that office into a bedroom. The room is all messed up, but that means that someone was using this place as a home for some time.”

“We’ve found places, abandoned like this, that were used by people to live in before,” says Ellie, looking at the place with curiosity.

“Yeah, I know, but the strange thing is that if someone was living here, where did they go?  And what happened with those infected outside?” Joel uses his flashlight to look at more of the place, to see if he can find any clues of what happened there.   

Ellie walks to where she left the sleeping bags and picks them up.  “Why are you so interested in what happened here?  We killed all the infected, and from the look of this place, nobody’s been here for months, or maybe a year.  The only thing we need to do is check this place and see if it still has some food, and get some rest,” says Ellie while she puts their things down on the middle of the room.   

“Well, I just want to be sure that nobody comes here and attacks us when we’re asleep.  And I find it curious, why someone’s going to go to all the trouble of locking a lot of infected inside the fence, if nobody was here,” says Joel, continuing to check the room.   

“Ooookaayyy!  If you want to be sure that we’re not going to have any trouble, we can check the rest of the place more carefully, if that makes you feel better.  But from what we checked already, I don't think that we’re going to find anything that tells us what happened here.”

“I know, but it’s better to check again, just to be sure.  And I found a door on the other side of this room that seems to lead to the basement of this place.  I didn't check that, because the door is locked, and I want to leave that for later,” says Joel, pointing in the direction of the door. 

Ellie smiles to herself while she looks at Joel and thinks,  _ why is Joel so curious to find out what happened here? _  Normally she was the one who got curious about things like this.  They’re only going to use this place to pass the night, so why bother with that?

“Okay, big guy, we’ll do it your way, but can we at least do that after I dress that wound of yours, and eat something?  Because I'm starving,” says Ellie, rummaging in her bag to find the first aid kit that she has in there, to take care of Joel’s wounded arm. 

After a few minutes, they’re both sitting on a little couch that is there… it’s not very big, but both of them fit perfectly on it.  Ellie is stitching up Joel’s wound while Joel protests that Ellie is making that hurt a little, just to annoy him.  But he is lucky that the wound isn’t very deep and he didn't lose too much blood, but she needs to apply some antibiotic before the wound gets infected.

The room is more illuminated now as they turn on the small solar lamp that they found in the cabin and brought with them.  Ellie is almost finished with her work when she catches Joel taking a better look at the place now that they have more light in there.  “Did you know that Tommy and I went to a place like this when we were kids?” says Joel, smiling at the memory.   

Ellie stops on the arm and looks at him, trying to imagine Joel as a small kid. “Really?  How old were you two?” asks Ellie, smiling a little, waiting for Joel to spit out the ages.

“Ohhhh… well, that was a long time ago.  I think that I was twelve and Tommy was six, I think.  It was a trip from Tommy’s school.  It was supposed to be our father that accompanied him, but he had to work that day.  So I had to go with him, as the teacher needed someone in his family to be with him.  It was a fun trip, at least for him... the teacher tried to show their class how communication worked in the country.”  Joel smiles a little at the old memories.  

“Oh, that’s great, so you were a good big brother for Tommy back then?” asks Ellie, almost sounding sarcastic.  “And did you two learn anything on the trip?” Ellie is waiting for his answer while she finishes with the stitches on Joel’s arm.

“Ha,ha,ha… not really.  Tommy was just six... the whole class was just little kids, so I never saw the point of that trip.  But it was fun for them, and seeing how the teachers tried to keep the kids in one place, or to make them learn something, was fun for me, and some of them just liked to run all over the place.  That place was bigger than this one, but I was glad that Tommy had a good time there. 

“Well, I'm glad that you have some good memories of your past, especially with Tommy.  I know that you two don’t get along so well sometimes, and that you have some bad history from the time you two were on the road after the virus.  So it makes me happy that you were a good brother to him when you were a kid.”  

“Yeah, those are great memories… we were good brothers back then.  It’s so sad now, how all that went to hell.  We were so close before the world went to shit, and losing Sarah changed everything.  After she died that day, it all became a nightmare, and I needed to do a lot of bad things just to survive,” says Joel with a sad expression.  

“Well, we all have to do bad things to survive in this world, so don't feel so bad about it.  Okay, I'm done, you’re good as new, but you need to change that shirt -- it’s all bloody and torn,” says Ellie, standing up from the couch and walking away, to put the stuff back in her bag.  “Now, let's go and open some of those cans of food we have.  Fuck!... I’m so hungry that I could eat a whole cow if we had one here.”

“Ha,ha,ha, I bet you can.  Thanks for the stitches, kiddo, you know that you’re the best at that,” says Joel, standing up from the couch too, and going to get the food out of his bag.

“You`re welcome, my husband, now let's eat,” says Ellie, smiling at him, then she moves close to him, grabs him from behind, and kisses him on the cheek.  

“Are you sure that you don’t want us to check the basement first, and solve this mystery?” he asks after he kisses her back.

“No!  Joel, I want to eat first -- I don’t want to lose my appetite if we find a dead body down there.  So let's eat first, okay?” says Ellie, looking at him with a desperate expression.

“Okay… okay, let's eat first; you don't need to give me that look.  Besides, I don't think that anything is going to take away that big appetite that you have now.  Jeez, I don't know where you put all that food, anyway,” says Joel, with two cans of food in his hands now.

They sit on the floor where they put their things to pass the night.  Joel cleans his hands the best he can with some cloth he found in the little kitchen there.  Ellie cleans hers too, and starts to open the cans of food to eat.  After she finishes, she passes one to Joel.  They are lucky that the food can be eaten cold, because they can't make a fire inside the place.  But that’s okay for them; having something to eat is good enough, on a trip like this.  Ellie starts looking at the room while they eat.  She thinks that this place looks familiar... not like she’s seen a radio station before, but something in this place brings up some bad memories. 

The place looks like the one Joel and her stayed the night with Sam and Henry.  Not a good memory for her, but she doesn't remember having many good memories before she met Joel. Just a few after she met Riley and became best friends.  But that didn’t end well... the same with Sam and Henry, and all the people that she lost in the past.  But she is happier now, because Joel is making sure that she has some good ones.  Living in Jackson for the past 5 years, it's been good; the place is not a paradise, like some people like to call the town.  But it’s a good place to start a new life for some people who lost everything in this fucked up world. 

Yeah, she has some happy memories now, thanks to Joel.  She has a family now.  He celebrates all her birthdays, and she has some new friends, too.  But the best memory that he gave her was just a few weeks ago, when he gave her the ring and asked her to be his wife.  She doesn't know if this one surpasses the first kiss that Joel gave her, or the first time she had sex with him.  But she knows that being Joel’s wife now is one of the best memories she has.  After they finish eating the food, Joel stands up and walks over to where he left his flashlight and gun.

“Okay, I’m going to check that door that leads to the basement.  We need water, for us and the horses, and normally the basement is where the water system are.  Maybe we’ll get lucky and find something usable for us, too,” says Joel, picking up his things.

“Pffffft... You just want to try and solve the mystery of what happened here, like you’re a detective or something.”  She laughs at the comment a little, then she stands up too, and gets her things to go with him.  

Both of them walk toward the basement door.  Joel remembers that the door was locked, so he takes his hammer and and breaks the knob off.  “That’s the only way that you use to open all the doors?” says Ellie, looking at him.  

“Well, we can try to find the key, but this is the fastest way to do it.”  Then Joel opens the door slowly and points his flashlight at the stairs, which are pitch black.  He starts to go down, and warns Ellie to watch her step.  They both get to the bottom of the stairs in no time.  Joel checks the place, illuminating it with his flashlight, and notices that the basement is not very big.  He sees a corridor that leads to another room in the distance.  The wall of the corridor has some pipe and cables attached to it.  He starts to walk, with Ellie following close behind.  When they both arrive at the entrance of the room, they see some machines there.  Joel tells Ellie that this place is where they have the main power breakers for the electricity, and possibly the water supply, too.  They enter the room slowly… and ready, in case there’s someone there, dead or alive.  But as soon as they start to look around, they both smell the stink of a dead body.  The smell is not that strong, so that means that the dead person has been dead for a long time.  

They walk toward where the smell is coming from, and when they get close, they see the body:  it looks like a man in a chair.  He is sitting in front of a small desk that has a computer and some other things on it.  Joel covers his mouth and nose with his hand to block the stink; even with that, he can't block it that much. 

“Well, at least now we know what happened to the person that was living here,” says Joel, illuminating the body and confirming that it’s the dead body of a man.  The body is almost a skeleton now. 

“What do you think happened to him?  Did he get trapped here by those infected outside?” she asks Joel while she looks at the body, too.  When she thinks about the body, it almost looks like the one they found at the university in Colorado, when they were looking for the Fireflies.  But the difference on this one is that he doesn't have any gunshot wounds on him, nor are there any  guns close by.  So he must have died from a reason other than killing himself.      

“I don't think so.  If he was living here, it’s impossible that he locked those infected out there and have himself trapped inside this place.  So the other explanation is that someone did that to him,” says Joel while he starts to look around the room, looking for any more clues about what happened.  Then he sees a small recorder beside the keyboard.   _ Okay, maybe he recorded something on this thing that can tell us what happened in this place.  _


	5. The Old Station Part-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they secure the place, Joel want to know the mystery of the old station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 5 : The Old Station Part-1**

  


Joel takes the small recorder in his hand and checks the thing that looks very similar to the one he found in the hospital when he was trying to get to Ellie.  “Well, let's see if this little thing can tell us what happened to him, shall we!”  Then he presses the button and rewinds the thing. It’s a miracle that the battery on this thing has lasted this long.  After a few moments, the tape finishes rewinding, so Joel presses the play button to hear the recorder.

(recorder)

_I don't know if this thing is going to work right, I have a few more but I don't know where they are... maybe those assholes took those too, like they took everything else.  Why did this happen to us?  My wife and me lived in here for almost a year.  We were lucky to find this place.  It was great -- no infected close, or any that can attract people here, so it was a good place to live for a long time.  But one day, a young boy came here... he was hungry, and sick, my wife and me took pity on him and tried to help him.  He was just... what?  16 or something like that?  We gave him food and medicine, even let him sleep in one of the rooms until he felt better.  After a week, he gets better, and says that he needs to find someone that was with him and got lost, so he goes._

There is a pause there, so Joel and Ellie wait until the recorder continues, and start to listen again with some curiosity.

(recorder again)

_He came back a few days later, after he left, and came with some other people.  He said that those were his friends, and that they were followed by infected.  So they asked us for a place to stay until the infected go away.  I think about it, but let them in... they look like decent kids, there were 4 of them and don't look more than 18.  After we all get inside the building, they hit me on the head with something.  When I wake up, they’re gone... they took all the food and guns we have.  They even took my wife with them, I think, because I could not find her anywhere.  Those bastards didn’t even have the decency to kill me.  When I try to get out, and go to find them, I see all those things out there in the parking lot, so I have to lock myself in here, without any way to get out.  I was left here alone, with no food or way out, I think that they wanted me to die slowly… I tried for a few days to find a solution, but as I have no way to know what happened to my wife, she probably got raped or killed.  I try not to think about that too much, but after a week, I don't care anymore.  My life has ended... I don't have the spirit to continue living, I’m so hungry that I can't think anymore.  I hope that those bastards got infected and had a horrible death.  I will try to die with the memories of the good life we had here.  So if someone comes here and finds this recorder, I just want to let you know to never trust a person, no matter the look they have, no matter how innocent they look... Okay, these are my final words, as I know that I’m not going to live another day, so good luck to you, and I hope that you have a better life. If you are one of them, I hope that you go to hell and have a horrible death….._ With that, the recorder stops.  Joel puts the recorder back where he found it, then Ellie looks at him _._

“Poor guy, that must’ve been horrible for him... I mean dying that way.  Well, at least we know what happened to the people that were living in here,” says Ellie while she starts to feel sorry for the man.  

After Joel and Ellie hear what’s on the tape, Ellie starts to check the little room.  After a few minutes, she finds an old sheet that’s on top of some empty boxes, and uses it to cover the body.  She looks at Joel and suggests that they try to find a shovel and take the body outside to bury him.

Joel tells her that it’s getting dark outside and that it’s better to do that in the morning.  He doesn't like the idea very much, but knowing Ellie as he knows her now, any protest is going to be in vain, so he doesn't say anything.  After the body is covered, Joel tells Ellie that it’s better to find the water supply that is supposed to be in there.  So they start to search the little place until they find another door that looks like a closet.  When Joel opens the door, he sees that there is a small generator with some pipes connected next to the thing.

“See that?” Joel asks, pointing to the little machine.  “That thing helps to pump the water from the ground -- now we only need to check if this thing still works.  If it does, we can have water.”   Then Joel proceeds to take a look at the machine; he checks it out and after a few minutes, Ellie speaks.  

“So... Do you think that this thing is going to work?” asks Ellie, standing behind him.  

“Well, it seems to be okay, just needs gas and some clean up.  We can check this room or upstairs again, to see if we can find some gas,” says Joel, standing up and facing her.

“Do you think that there’s still some here?  You heard the recorder -- those bandits took everything,” says Ellie, looking at the body that is covered by the sheet.

“He said that they took all the food and guns.  But from what I can see here, seems like they didn’t touch the basement.  And with all those infected outside, I assume that they left in a hurry.  I will check the rest of the basement, and you go up and check the rest of the rooms, okay?”

“Okay.” Then Ellie walks out of the room, toward the stairs to go up.

After half an hour, Ellie comes back carrying a container with some gas in it that she found inside a closet in one of the offices.  Joel takes the gas container and fills up the gas tank in the machine.  Then he grabs the cable that starts the generator, and after a few tries, the thing starts to work.  

“Well, we have gas here, for making that thing work for at least 2 days, if we don't keep that on for too long,” says Joel, looking at the generator and checking that the thing is working right.

“What about the smoke?  That’s going to affect us in here, don’t you think?” asks Ellie.

“No, we’re going to be fine... that thing has a pipe connected to it that goes outside.  So the smoke doesn’t stay inside.  Okay, let's go and start to collect some water, clean ourselves up, and give some to the horses.” Joel and Ellie walk out of the room.  Ellie grabs Joel’s arm and gets close to him, putting her head on his shoulder as they go up the stairs.

“You know!  When I was looking for the gas, I found that they have a shower in the bathroom,” says Ellie with a seductive tone in her voice.

“A shower!  Ha, you want to take a shower here?  Shit, Ellie, the water is going to be freezing here,” says Joel, looking at her with a surprised expression.

“Ohhhh… don't worry, I know how we can do some things in there that will keep us warm.”

“Shit, girl, are you serious?  You want to have sex in that cold water?” asks Joel, looking in her eyes to try to determine if she’s joking, but it seems that she isn’t.  Then he looks at the front again.  As soon as they get to the top of the stairs, the emergency lights of the place start to come on.  “Well, well, look at that -- we’re going to have a little power, too.  That’s great.”

“Yeah, that’s great, and maybe the heater in the shower will work, too.  So the water isn’t going to be too cold now.”

Joel turns his head again to look at her.  

“Oh, don't give me that look.  We’re married now, remember.  Also, we haven’t been able to do anything since we left the cabin,” says Ellie, smiling at him and gripping his arm tighter.

“Damn, Ellie, you should try to control yourself.  The thing about us being married… well, in a way we are.  Don't mean that we have to do that all the time.  Maybe it’ll be a good thing if you don't read too many of those romance novels you always find on the road.”

“Really, Joel?  You’re telling me that you don't want to have sex with me?  And some of those books have good tips that we can use, you know,” says Ellie, looking at him with a sad puppy face.

“Fuck, girl, don't do that -- you know I can’t resist that look. It’s not like I don’t want to, I’m just trying to say that being married is not only about sex, okay?”

“Okaaay, but that doesn't mean that we can’t have some fun, right?” She smiles at him, then pulls his arm down and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

After they get out of the basement and enter the transmission room, Ellie lets go of Joel’s arm and goes to find a bucket to collect some water to give to the horses.  When Ellie finishes with that, both of them enter the bathroom to take the shower.  But Ellie’s plan gets foiled when the heater doesn't work and the water is too cold to take a full shower there.  So they have to collect some water in the bucket and use a piece of cloth to clean themselves up one at time.  Ellie lets Joel take the first turn, as she has another plan to have her quality love time with Joel, as she called it sometimes. They found, that one of the rooms, was the one the couple were using to sleep, when they lived there.  But Joel and Ellie decide to sleep in the main room, where they have more space to be prepared if someone tries to get in the building during the night.  After Joel finishes and goes back to the room, Ellie goes to the bathroom and washes herself.  When she’s finished too, she puts a shirt on, and goes back to the main room.  She finds Joel shirtless, kneeling on the floor, looking in his bag.

“Hey, Ellie!  Have you seen my green shirt?” asks Joel as soon as he hears Ellie enter the room, not looking at her.  “I had it in my backpack and now I can't find it.”

“Yes… Joel, I know exactly where your shirt is…” answers Ellie with a sexy voice, walking toward him.

“So where is it?” asks Joel, turning his head around and seeing Ellie wearing the shirt.  “I don't know why, but I get the feeling that you had something to do with the shirt.”

“Well, you should know by now that I like to use your shirt to sleep in.  But you know that I’m not going to be wearing it for long,” says Ellie, getting close to him and starting to pass her hand over his shirtless chest.  

“Shit!  Ellie, do you want to do this here now?” says Joel, backing away a little until he bumps into the electronic console panel that’s behind him.

“Sure,  I`m… I wanted to do it in the shower, but since that didn’t work out, this is as good a place as any, don't you think?” says Ellie, moving closer to him and starting to to kiss his neck.

Joel puts his hands on her shoulders and tries to push Ellie away a little.  “It ain’t like I don't want to, but we have a dead man in the basement… don’t you think that that’s a little creepy?”

“Really, Joel?  You don't want to have sex with me because there’s a dead body down there.  I don't want to sound too bad, but I don't think it’s going to mind, and also, we put a sheet over him.  We could bury him, if that makes you feel better, but you insist on doing that tomorrow.  And I don't think that my mood is going to last until then,” says Ellie, moving forward and starting to kiss him again.   

“Yeah, I think it’s too late for that now, but maybe it’s better if we wait-- Ahhhh.” Joel feels Ellie’s hand on his groin.  “Shit!  Ellie, stop that… ahhhh.” Joel starts to protest, but Ellie moves her hand and starts to grab his balls through his shorts.

“Oh, c’mon Joel, stop thinking about that -- we haven't done anything since we left the cabin, except kissing.  Not that I don't like that too, but I need something more, and we don't know when we’re going to find a place like this again,” pleads Ellie when she does some sexy thing to Joel.

“Shit, girl, you’re making this too hard to resist… Ahhhh,  why are you being so bad,”  says Joel, closing his eyes when Ellie continues.  

Ellie smiles, knowing that Joel is not going to resist much longer.  “Yeah, but you like it when I'm a little bad. So maybe I need a little punishment, don't you think?” says Ellie, with a sexy smile on her face.

“Yeah, girl, maybe you do!” says Joel, trying to be hard on her.

 

**To be continued….**

 


	6. The Old Station Part-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel, is preparing, to pass the night on the old station, but Ellie have a better way to do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention. 
> 
> Warning: Hi this chapter contain some, sex scene that, I hope no to be to hard for some people. As Joel and Ellie do some foreplay, but I light that up, so not one get offended. So no worry about, I just like to put the warning just in case. Thanks for reading.

**Chapter 6 : The Old Station Part-2**

  
  
  


Ellie is smiling, because maybe this can go better that she expected.  Ellie likes to do some playing with Joel, sometimes, just to have some fun.  She likes to try some of the sex things that she’s read in some books.  After Ellie and Joel got together and started to have sex, she found some curious things to do with a man.  The first time she tried to do some of those things was after the Christmas party.  She drank a little, without Joel noticing, and when they got home, she wanted to try some sexy games.  Joel didn't like to do those at first, but Ellie insisted on trying it at least once.  So she pretends to be a character from a movie she saw, or be the front desk clerk of a hotel, and asks Joel to be the hot movie star that stays in the hotel.  She wants to do some other things, too, that she read in a book she found in the library; it said that it was sexy to be tied to the bed and blindfolded during the act.  But Joel didn't like that, even when she tried to tell him that it was just playing a game, Joel thought it was too much. 

Joel asked her how she managed to get her hands on those books, because those were restricted, in the adult section.  She told him that she only wanted to do things right, as she didn't have any experience with anyone before him.  So the books gave her some tips on how to pleasure a man, and guarantee a long and healthy relationship. 

So after she does the playing for the first time, she convinces Joel to play along and have some fun with it.  One day when Joel was working at the dam, and he told her that he was going to get home late, she saw the opportunity to do some role playing, so she put on a dress similar to one she saw in a magazine.  The dress looked like a housewife, so she made some dinner and waited for Joel.  When he got home, she started to play her part: she welcomed him with a smile, and asked him about his work.  Joel was a little surprised, but as Ellie made the effort, he played along.  She told him that the dinner was ready, and the kids were with Maria and that they had the house to themselves.  Joel found it a little amusing, how Ellie could be so inventive and fun sometimes.  After they ate the dinner, they went to the bedroom and continued the game there.  She was so cute, and fun.  Since that time went great, she wanted to do it again, so she tried to play other characters.  Sometimes she pretended to be a doctor, or Joel’s secretary, or just pretended to be a bad girl, and tried to make Joel spank her -- in a sexy way, of course.  Joel didn't like that one much, because Ellie wanted him to put her on his lap, and give her some spankings for being a bad girl.

Ellie sees that Joel is undecided about what to do, so she needs to start playing her character before Joel changes his mind. 

“C’mon, Joel, I’ve been a bad girl -- I stole your shirt, and did some other things behind your back when you were in the basement.  So aren’t you going to punish me, for being a bad girl?” asks Ellie, trying to be sexy.

“So you think that I need to punish you for that… ummm!” says Joel, looking at her and thinking about whether to follow her lead in the game or not.

Ellie is watching him and how he starts to react... her plan is starting to work.  Not only does she see it in his eyes, but he’s so close to her that she can feel Joel’s hard dick pressing against her leg.  “Yes, Joel, I need to be punished,” she says to him with a calm voice, but her heart is starting to beat so fast. 

Joel turns his head and looks at the console behind him, and sees that this isn’t a good place to have sex.  The thing has too many buttons and electronic things that doing something on top of that, would be a little painful.  So he starts to look around and sees a small desk in the corner of the room.   _ Okay, that can work _ .  He turns to Ellie and smiles.  “Indeed, you’ve been a bad girl, and bad girls need to be punished,” he says, moving forward and grabbing Ellie by one arm, and dragging her to the small desk.

Ellie is smiling behind Joel’s back as he drags her by the arm.  She’s glad that Joel wants to play along.  When they arrive at the desk, Joel pushes everything on top of it to the floor with his free hand, and then he positions Ellie in front of the desk. 

“Are you sure you want to do this in here?” asks Joel with a calm voice.

“Yes, Joel, I'm sure.  So you can decide whatever punishment you think is right for me, for being a bad girl,” says Ellie with a sexy voice.

Joel is containing his laughter at Ellie’s performance; she is trying to be as sexy and hot as she can, but sometimes she is just so cute.  “Okay then, now turn around and bend down on the desk,” Joel commands her with a more serious voice. 

Ellie looks at him for a moment, but obeys.  She turns around and faces the desk, bending down as she was told.  She doesn't know what Joel is planning to do, but she’s hoping that whatever it is, she’ll get some spankings.  Joel never wants to do that to her, and she read that that can make a woman so horny that she can come from that.   _ Yeah, that could be great… and hot _ ,  she says to herself, and quickly tries to imagine Joel doing that.  

Joel moves close behind her, and presses his body into her butt.  Then he bends down, touching her back with his body, until his mouth is close to her ear, and whispers, “Do you really want to be punished, or pleasured?”  

“Both!” answers Ellie without any reservations; she is starting to get desperate, and wondering why Joel is taking so long. 

“Okay then!” he says to her while he moves up from her back and presses one hand on her back, gently, but pinning her firmly to the desk.  Ellie already is already starting to breathe faster when she feels Joel’s other hand touch her butt.  In that moment, Ellie closes her eyes, and starts to remember one of the books she read.  It was called ‘ **Fifty Shades of Grey.’** She found that one on a scavenger trip.  When she started to read that, she thought,  _ Wow, do people really do those things?  _  It was so hot that she even had some sex dreams after that.  In her dreams, it was Joel doing all those things to her, and that was before they started their secret romantic relationship.   

Joel keeps holding her in place while he passes his hand over her butt, not hitting her.  He keeps doing that for a few minutes, just stroking there slowly, and sometimes giving her a hard grab on the butt cheek.  Ellie moans in pleasure every time he does it.  After a while of just torturing her, he notices that Ellie isn’t wearing anything under the shirt -- no bra or underwear. Joel can feel that Ellie is getting desperate, and trying to move.  She wants Joel to do something... the waiting is killing her, she’s already wet, and the only thing she wants right then is Joel inside her.  But Joel thinks that the best punishment for her is making her wait. 

Ellie can't take that much longer; she can feel his hand there, but he’s only touching her.  So she decides to speed things up; after half an hour of that, she needs to do something before she goes crazy.  She lifts her head and turns to look at him.  “Joel, what are you waiting for -- I thought that you were going to punish me?” Ellie asks, but Joel’s hand pushes her back down.

Then he moves his head close to hers again, and whispers. “I’m already doing that,” he tells her, then he moves away again.  Ellie now gets what he’s doing -- he’s torturing her by not giving her what she wants. _  Fuck, he is bad! _ she thinks, knowing that this is taking too long, and the fact that she hasn't had any sex since the cabin is making things worse.  So there’s only one thing she can do to end this, and that’s to plead with Joel to just fuck her, and finish with this. 

“Please, Joel!... I can’t take this anymore, just-- just fuck me, already… please!” 

After one hour, Joel decides that she’s been tortured enough, so it’s time to end this.  He too is desperate now, and hard, so as quickly as he can, he moves one hand and lowers his shorts, and frees his dick.  After that, he grabs Ellie’s shirt and pulls it up, so her ass is exposed.  He starts to pass his finger over her entrance, and feels that she’s all ready, so he decides no more foreplay. 

He pushes two fingers inside of her, and starts to slide them in and out.  After a few minutes, he stops.  Ellie is moaning hard, until she feels Joel’s fingers getting out of her.  Ellie starts to get up to protest, but Joel presses his hand down to keep her pinned to the desk.  But before she can say anything, he enters her as fast as he can.  She screams so loud that Joel thinks that the horses are going to leave the room and run away, scared.  He leans forward and asks her if she’s ok, but Ellie quickly tells him that she’s fine, and that he only took her by surprise. 

After Ellie lets him know that he can continue, he starts to thrust into her slowly.  A few minutes later, he starts to move faster.  Ellie is starting to tense up as she moans harder... Joel starts to go faster, with his hand pressed on her back.  Ellie is lost in pleasure, and asks Joel to go deeper and harder inside her.  The electricity she’s feeling in her body is so great, that after a few minutes, she starts to feel her climax getting closer.  Joel feels that her climax is close, so he moves his hand to grab Ellie’s hip, so that way he can thrust deeper inside her.  Her loud moaning can be heard in the entire building, that Joel almost thinks that he is going to come right there. So after a few more thrusts, Ellie screams harder and comes.  He is close too, so he just does a couple more thrusts and pulls out of her, so he can come on the floor.  

Both of them are gasping for air.  Joel moves and leans down, on her back, until his head is close to her ear, and says in a lower voice, “Did you enjoy the game?”

“Ohhh… fuck yeah!... Damn, Joel, you're the best at this -- I barely feel my legs now.  You really know how to pleasure a woman... Fuck, I love you so much… thanks,” says Ellie between breaths. 

“Oh, I love you too, kiddo… shit, that was so good.  And now we're going to need another bath,” says Joel, moving his head away from her neck and standing up.  Ellie tries to move, but her body feels so tired that she can barely move at all. 

“Yeah, but it was worth it -- I just feel so tired that it’s better if we have some rest first, before doing anything else, okay?” says Ellie, smiling at him.  

“Yeah, that sounds good to me,” says Joel while he picks her up from the desk, and takes her in his arms.  Then he walks with Ellie toward the middle of the room, where they put the sleeping bags, and lays her down.  Joel and Ellie rest there for a few hours, then go to the bathroom to clean themselves again.  After they finish, they go back to the room.  Joel carries Ellie in his arms all the way back, then he lays her down on the sleeping bag as soon as they return there. After he puts her down, he lays beside her and kisses her.  Then he puts one arm around her and pulls her close to his chest, where she feels so protected and loved.  A few minutes later, both of them fall asleep snuggling in the middle of the room.

  
  


***Next morning***

  
  


Joel and Ellie wake up a little late in the morning. The little bit of rough sex that they had the night before left them so tired that they lost track of time.  After they eat something, Ellie takes the horses out of the building and moves them to the back, so they can eat from the grass there. They were lucky that all the infected got killed outside the fence, so the horses didn't get too agitated by the dead bodies.  While she does that, Joel goes to the basement and turns off the generator to save some gas for later, since they decided to stay one more day, to rest the horses and themselves. 

Joel moves the body in the chair, and wraps him up with the sheet that Ellie used to cover him. Then he carries the body upstairs and out of the building, where he starts to dig a hole, around the side of the building.  After he finishes burying the dead man, they put a piece of wood and write the unknown words on it, since they don't know the name of the man; the recorder that the man left there didn't mention his name.  As they don’t know much about him, Ellie just says a few words so the man can rest in peace. 

After that, they get back inside and go to the main room, where Joel has his things.  He takes out the map that they are using to get to California and puts it on the desk that’s there so he can check the best route they can use to get there faster and safer.  Joel starts to study the routes, while Ellie is beside him, waiting to hear his plan to follow.

After a few minutes, he speaks. “Okay, we have two options here: we can take the south route, that can take us to the middle of the state of California. But If we that take route, we need to take the # 95 road, then take the # 80. But that is going to take us through the desert, and that is not going to be good for us,” says Joel while he continues looking at the map. 

“Why?  Isn’t that way faster?” asks Ellie, looking at the map too.

“Yeah, it is, but there ain’t much in that part that we can relate to, so it’s going to be more difficult to find food or a place to sleep at night.  Also, we’re going to be more exposed to bandits or hunters that can be in that area,” explains Joel.

“Okay, so what is the other option?”

“The other one is up north through the mountains.  Travel is going to take longer, and it’ll probably be colder.  But we would be able to find more food and shelter using that way,” says Joel, pointing at the map.

“Well, it’s better for us if we do this trip the fastest way possible, but you're the expert here, so it’s your call,” says Ellie, looking at him now.

“Yeah, but we're both in this, so your opinion counts, too,” says Joel.

Ellie smiles at him, and lets him know that she really appreciates that. “Okay, thanks for asking me, Joel, but like I said, you are the expert here, so you choose.” 

“Okay, then let's take the northern one.  So let’s see... we need to continue on the # 84 and then take the #26 -- that’s going to take us through the mountains.  That will take us close to the border, and then we take the # 20 and later the # 97, then we’ll cross over to Oregon.  Then we take the # 5 until we get to the coast of northern California and take the # 101, that will take us where we need to go,” Joel finishes with the plan they’re going to follow.

After that, they go out to hunt something to eat later.  And when they get back, they go to the room and prepare their things to be ready to get out first thing in the morning.  After that, Ellie goes out to get the horses back inside.  Then she goes to the control room again, where Joel is already preparing the 2 rabbits that they hunted.  A few hours later, they go to sleep -- no sex this time, just a make-out session for a while.  When the morning comes, they are rested and ready to go.  They collect their things, let the horses out, and get of that place, and back to their mission.

  
  
  
  
  



	7. The way through the Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ellie and Joel get out of the station they continue with their journal to California.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 7 : The way through the Mountain**

  


***Three weeks later***

 

It’s the first week of December now, so the cold is starting to get worse. Crossing the mountain looked like a good idea three weeks ago, but now, not so much.  Even though the winter hasn’t started yet, they can see some snow starting to fall, and even though they are not yet in the middle of the state, most of the trees are white now.  They can see some of the distant mountain already covered with snow.  They hunt, and find something to eat during the last two weeks, but after they enter the state of Oregon, the cold makes it more difficult to do that.  Passing through the mountain has been more difficult than Joel thought.  Not only in finding a decent place to stay and rest, but also some of the bridges and roads that cross the state are too damaged or broken to walk on them, or to pass a cliff where the bridge is gone, and this delays them.  So sometimes they have to take some other route to pass through, and after a few days, that starts to be a problem.    

Joel and Ellie are on the back of their horses, looking now at another broken bridge.

“Fuck!... If we continue like this, we’re never going to pass this mountain,” says Joel, looking at the cliff that once had a bridge to cross, and now is all broken up.

“Well, you were the one who decided to take this route, remember.  Oh, by the way… I’m fucking freezing!”  

“Yeah, yeah… always blame the man for taking the wrong direction,” Joel says in a lower voice while he takes the map out of his bag.  “Okay, let’s see what other road we can take to pass this cliff.” He looks at the map while Ellie gets impatient.

“Yeah, Joel, take your time... it’s not like we’re going to freeze to death here... right, boy?” says Ellie, patting her horse on the side of the head.

_Jesus…what is with her?  She never acted like this before... well, she’d get annoyed sometimes, but not like this.  “_ Okay, I think that I found a route that we can use to take us out of here.  We just need to go back 20 kilometers, where we saw the bridge sign.  There’s an old trail there that can take us down and through the valley down there, so we can cross to the other side,” says Joel, rolling the map and putting it back in his bag.   

“Great, another trail... that’s going to delay us more.  C’mon, boy, let’s move before we end up like a frozen statue here,” says Ellie, turning her horse around and moving away from the cliff without looking at Joel.

He looks at Ellie, trying to figure out why she seems so pissed.  He thought that she was joking on the first comment, and maybe she was. But now, what she said and the way she said it, feels like she is mad or something.  “Okay, what’s bothering you, kiddo?  I know that this looks a little hard, but the roads and all those bridges we found broken or in bad shape aren’t my fault.  Also, I need to know why you’ve been acting weird for the last few days, so tell me what’s wrong?” asks Joel, moving his horse close to hers so he can get a better look at her.  Then he moves one hand and grabs Ellie`s, trying to make her look at him, while they continue on the road.    

Ellie feels his hand on top of hers and sees his concern; she always loves that about him.  That is one of the reasons she loves him so much -- he always cares about her, and gets worried when he thinks that something is bothering her.  Ellie tries not to look at him, knowing that he can see through to her soul and know if she is lying or hiding something.  She needs to find something to say, so he doesn't feel so worried, but something has been worrying her for the last few days.  And she doesn't know how to address the issue, as she’s not sure what Joel’s reaction is going to be.  So for now, it’s better to try not to worry Joel for something she is not sure of yet.  After a few moments, she moves her head to the side to look at Joel and smile.

“Oh, sorry if I sound so bitchy... I didn't know what I was saying.  I know that it’s not your fault, Joel, I shouldn’t say things that way.  I was just trying to be funny, but it didn’t sound that way… Sorry.”  Then she puts her other hand on top of his and holds it tight. “Can you forgive me?”

Joel releases Ellie’s hand and stops the horse; she stops hers, too.  He looks her in the eye and knows that something is wrong with her.  Ellie seems like she doesn't want to talk about it, but he’s not going to leave things like that.  “Ellie!” he says with a calm voice.  “I know that something is wrong with you.  You’re never this pissed, and you were smiling and talking until last week.  But the last few days, you’ve been quiet, and now grumpy... also, not eating well, and sometimes in the morning, you go away for a while.”

“Joel, I'm fine, I don't mean to worry you, I’m just tired and cold.  And for the past few weeks, we haven’t been able to find any decent place to sleep.  And the morning thing… well, I have to go more to-- you know... pee, because it’s too cold now,” says Ellie, trying to convince Joel that she is fine.  

“And you want me to believe all that?  That there’s nothing wrong with you?” says Joel, not sure if he can believe all the things that she just said.  But he doesn't want to get into a discussion while they need to move on and continue before the night comes.

Ellie sees Joel’s confused look, so she decides to do something quick.  She moves herself to the side and grabs Joel by the shirt, pulling him close to her so she can kiss him.  Joel melts into the kiss, and she deepens it when she sees that Joel isn’t trying to push her away or protest.  Her tongue enters his mouth... until they need to separate to get air.  After that, she moves away and smiles at him again. “Ohhh, that make me feel better, Joel, thanks.  Soooo… are we going to find that trail you mentioned before, or not?”

Joel looks at her and notices that she’s trying to distract him so that she doesn't need to talk about her problem.  “That was a cheap move?” says Joel, but he lets her see a grin on his lips.

“Ha,ha,ha, maybe, but I think that you liked it. Joel, I'm fine -- like I told you before, I’m just tired, okay?  Let's move before night catches up to us here,” says Ellie while she gives her horse a push, and starts to move again.    

Joel moves his horse to follow her, and as soon as he gets to her side, he looks at her.  “You know that you can talk to me if something is wrong, right?  I’ll help you with whatever you need, if I can.”

“Yes, Joel, I know you will, and that’s one of the reasons that I love being your wife,” she says, looking at him.

“Okay… But you understand that we’re not officially married, right?” says Joel, looking at her while they ride on the road.

“Yeah, I know that, but to me, we are.  You already gave me the ring and asked me to marry you, and I said yes.  So I don't really care about any paper or something like that, and who cares about that these days, anyway?” says Ellie, moving one hand and punching him softly in his right arm, smiling at him.

Joel moves one hand to pass it over the spot Ellie just hit. “Well, you are starting to act like one.  Do you know that domestic violence was considerate a crime back in those days?” he says, laughing a little while still looking at her and continuing on the road.

“Well, then it’s a good thing that we’re not in your time, because we’d be in jail by now for killing people, even if it’s in self-defense,” says Ellie, smiling at him.

The road that takes them to the broken bridge has a little mountain wall on both sides; they need to get to the end of that part to get to the trail detour.  After one hour of riding, they finally arrive at the sign that announced the bridge ahead.  Joel starts to check the tree line that is close to the road, and finds the path.  He indicates for Ellie to move her horse and follow him through the trees, and start the way down.  The trail they take isn’t an easy way down; it’s all rocky, and that’s no good for the horses.  In some parts, they have to get down off the horses and walk them through trees to be able to pass.  After a few hours, they make it to the bottom and into the valley.  They talk a little more during the way down, but Joel doesn't ask any more about what was bothering Ellie earlier.  When they get to the part where the bridge crosses the cliff, they see the big parts of the fallen bridge there, blocking the path now.        

So they have to dismount the horses and try to find a way through the debris.  It takes them a few hours to pass all the debris there and get to the other side of the cliff bottom, and into the other side of the valley.  By then, it’s started to get dark, so Joel decides to find a good spot to make camp.  There’s nothing there but trees and rocks, no houses or any buildings.  He tells Ellie that the night is going to be cold and windy, so they need to find a good place that can give them good protection from that.  After a while of looking, Joel spots a little cave on the rocky side of a mountain, so they stop and go to check it out.  The cave is not too big, but deep enough to protect them from the cold and winds; they can also take the horses inside, so that’s good.  There’s not many animals there to hunt, so for now they need to survive on the provisions they still have left.  Lucky for them, Joel hunted a fox a few days ago, and they still have some of that meat left.  

After Joel checks the little cave, he indicates for Ellie to move the horses inside while he goes to collect some wood to make the fire for the night.  When Joel gets back, Ellie has everything set: the sleeping bags in the middle and the horses in one corner of the cave.  She also takes their  bags off their horses and puts them on the floor, close to the pit she made for the fire.  Joel quickly puts the wood in the pit and starts the fire while Ellie takes out the meat from the bag  they’ve been using to save the meat for later.  Thanks to the cold climate now, the meat has been keeping cold in the bag, so the meat can last longer.  After Joel puts the meat on to cook, they sit close to the fire to warm up and to wait for the food to get done.  Even with the warm fire, they keep all their clothes on, and Ellie just takes off her gloves so she can warm her hands there. She is wearing a winter hat that Joel finds cute sometimes; they found them in a house two weeks ago.    

After a few minutes of looking at the fire, Ellie speaks. “Do you know that in a few weeks it’s going to be Christmas day?” asks Ellie while she rubs her hands together, close to the fire.

“Yeah, I know.  And it’s going to be the first Christmas that we’ve spent out of Jackson since we’ve lived there.”  When Joel sees her sad face, he moves and sits beside her, and puts one arm around her shoulder.  “I know that we're not going to have a Christmas tree, or presents, and all that.  And we’re going to be here, just the two of us, but maybe we can find a good place to pass that night and have a good dinner just for us, before we get to California.”   

Ellie smiles and lays her head on Joel’s shoulder.  “It’s okay, Joel, because the only thing that really matters to me is that we’re going to spend that day together.  Besides, you already gave me the best Christmas gift ever,” says Ellie, smiling while she watches the fire.

Joel moves his other arm and hugs her tight, and kisses her on the head.  “Thanks, kiddo, but the ring and asking you to marry me don't count as a gift.  But don't worry, we’re going to have our Christmas day, one way or another.”  He kisses her again.

Ellie smiles at the fire while Joel continues hugging her.   _Oh, that is not the gift I was talking about,_ she says to herself.  “So what does California look like?  Have you been there before?  I mean before the virus.”

“Oh, well, I went once with my parents and brother, when we were kids.  But never went there after Sarah was born... too busy, I guess,” says Joel, looking at the fire.

Ellie moves one hand and caresses his face.  “Oh, I'm sorry, Joel, I don't want to bring up sad memories.”

“It’s okay, kiddo, we have good memories, too.  I still miss her every day, but sometimes it makes me happy, that she don't have to live through all this.”  

“But maybe if she did, you would be a different man, and your way of life would be better, don't you think?” says Ellie, looking in his eyes.

“Maybe, but I don't think that that life would’ve lasted long for her and me if she was alive.  She was so gentle and innocent... she wasn’t made for this type of life, and I think that it was better for her not to watch what the world became.”

“Well, it would be nice to meet her, but if things were different, maybe you and I never would’ve met.  I know that that sounds a little selfish, but it would be sad if we never met.”

“Yeah, I think that things could’ve been a lot different if she survived, but I'm glad that we found each other and ended up together.  I know that it’s weird for an old man like me to fall in love with a young girl.  But I want to let you know that you make me so happy, no matter what.”

“You make me happy too, Joel, and I’d never change all this… not for anything in this world.” Ellie grabs Joel’s face with her two hands, pulls him close, and kisses him.  Joel starts to kiss her back passionately, until they need air.  After they move their lips away, they stay in each other’s arms until the dinner is done.  After they eat, they move into the sleeping bag and fall asleep in one another’s arms.  While they are sleeping, snow starts to fall on the valley.  Lucky for them, the little cave gives them all the protection they need.

  



	8. The Bad Storm Part-1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel and Ellie are going to be hit by a snow storm, so they need to find a place to pass that. But they are going to find more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 8 : The Bad Storm Part-1**

  


***A few days later***

  


After Ellie and Joel leave the little cave, it continues snowing... not too much, but the climate is getting colder.  During the next few days, they find some little place that they can pass the cold nights.  They weren’t much -- just some broken houses or cars -- but at least that gives them some cover.  As the weather is getting too cold, hunting animals is more difficult on this part of the mountain.  Ellie and Joel have to use the reserve food they still have, but that starts to get low now.  So Joel needs to start thinking of a way to find more food, if they can’t hunt in the upcoming days.  As the mountain road path is more isolated, they can't find too many houses or places where they can find some food.  Joel needs to find some animals that he can hunt, so that they can survive this trip. They try to move more quickly to get out of there, but it’s going to be at least one more week to pass that part and get to the lower part of Oregon.  Joel tells Ellie that as soon as they get to the south of the state, they can find more places to check for food, and maybe some animals to hunt.     

 

(Back on the mountain road)

Ellie is riding her horse at the side of a broken road. She is trembling; even wearing all the extra clothes inside her winter jacket is not enough to keep her warm. Joel is behind her, a few feet away, trying to keep warm too, by rubbing his hands on his body.  He looks at Ellie and when he sees that she is fighting the cold too, he moves his horse to get close to hers.  The temperature must be like 40 or 30, and it’s not even night yet.  When he gets closer, he looks at her and thinks how cute she looks, with the hat she is wearing, and all the winter clothes.  She has her face covered with some cloth they found, and only her eyes are exposed to the cold weather.

As soon as Joel gets to her side, he speaks. “Hey, are you okay?” asks Joel, putting one hand on her shoulder.

Ellie moves her head to look at him.  “Yeah, I'm fine… just a … little… cold, that’s all,” answers Ellie with a trembling voice.

“Yeah, I know, we should be moving more into the forest... to check if we can… find a place to stay, at least for a few… days.”

“Yeah, that will be great, but isn’t that going… to delay us more?” answers Ellie with some worry in her voice.

“I know, but we don't… have too much… choice.  The weather is getting… worse, and I think that storm is… coming soon, and it’s going to be better if we find a place before… that.”   

“Okay… but you said that… there’s nothing in here... so how are we going to find a house, or something?”

“We need to get off of the road and into… the forest.  There must… be a cabin or a small house in there… sometimes people build some, around this mountain,” answers Joel.  

Joel and Ellie move out of the road into the forest, riding for few hours, until they find some rocky place that looks like an old concrete house.  But they only have 3 walls and just part of a roof, so that is not going to be too much cover to pass the storm.  But at least they can assemble the tent they have and rest there for the night.  At least the walls can give them a little protection from the cold winds, if the storm comes early.  Joel finds that place reasonable for them to sleep in, but the horses are another thing.  They need to find a better place before the storm hits them, or the horses are not going to make it.     

After they dismount the horses, Joel ties them to one of the walls that still has some roof.  He takes out some of their things and starts to set up for the night.  Joel tells Ellie to prepare the fire while he works on the tent.  As they still have a few hours before nightfall, Ellie goes into the forest to collect some branches so she can start the fire pit.  Ellie doesn't go too far in the woods, but while she is collecting the branches, she has the feeling that someone is watching her.  Ellie starts to look around to see if she can spot something, but she doesn't see or hear anything, so she finishes the collecting and goes back to the camp.  When she arrives back there, she sees Joel taking out the last can of food they have from the saddlebag.  Ellie moves to the pit and puts the branches in there, then takes the matches out of her coat and starts the fire.  She sits on one of the stone blocks that Joel put there to use as chairs.  Then Joel comes and sits beside her, and offers her the food can.  “Here, you can have this.”

“Joel, that’s the last one -- you should eat it.  You gave me one yesterday, and I know that you haven’t eaten anything for the last two days,” says Ellie, pushing the can back to Joel.

“I'm fine, kiddo, and you need the food more than me -- you haven’t been eating well for the last two weeks, so it’s better if you eat that,” says Joel, offering the food to her again.

“Joel!  You need to eat, too -- if you don't eat, you’re going to get weak, and then what’ll we do?”

“Ellie, I can go for a week without eating, and I don't want you to get more sick, okay?” says Joel, putting the spoon on the can and giving it to Ellie.

“What!... I'm not sick, where’d you get that idea?” asks Ellie desperately.

“I heard you throw up yesterday, and don't tell me that it was something that you ate that was bad.  Because you didn't eat anything the night before, so if you’re getting sick, I need to know, okay?” Joel moves one hand and tries to touch Ellie’s forehead to feel if she has a fever, but Ellie moves her head away.

“I'm not sick, Joel… so don't worry about--” _crack!_ Ellie stops talking when she hears a sound coming from the trees that are close to them. “Did you hear that?”

Joel turns his head to check it out; he starts to look toward the tree line.  “I don't see anything...  maybe it was an animal.”  

“I don't know, Joel, but when I was looking for the branches, I felt like someone was watching me.  Maybe it’s a good idea to check it out... could be an infected or a hunter,” says Ellie with a worried tone in her voice.

“Okay, I will go and check -- you stay here and watch the horses, okay?” Joel stands up from the stone he was sitting on with Ellie.  Then he takes out his gun from the holster and starts to walk forward, pointing his gun where Ellie heard the sound.  He continues moving, but he doesn't hear anything, just the sound of the tree branches rustling in the wind.  As he moves beyond the place’s walls, Ellie stands up too and gets her gun out, watching Joel as he continues moving toward the tree line.

“ _Joel, be careful, okay!_ ” whispers Ellie from behind one of the walls she is using to cover herself.

Joel turns his head and looks at her, and makes a gesture with his hand, indicating for her to stay behind the wall and not move.  Then he moves his head to look back at the trees, and starts to move slowly again.  As Joel enters the tree line, out of Ellie’s sight-- _Crack!_ He hears a sound, but this time, it’s louder, and definitely not an animal.

“Okay, wherever you are, it’s better if you get out and show yourself before I start shooting.” Joel isn’t sure if it’s an infected or a normal person, but he is hoping that it will be a normal person. That way he can kill him with his knife, and won’t need to waste any bullets on this, because they are low on those, too.  “I said move out or I’ll have to start shooting, and you don’t want that.” After he talk, he cocks the hammer of the gun, preparing to shoot.

“Don't shoot!  I don’t have a gun, and I don't mean any harm… please!” a woman’s voice comes out from some bushes.

Joel continues pointing the gun at the bushes while a woman comes out in front of him with her hands up. The woman is young, maybe 28 or 30 years old, and has light black skin, and black hair.  She is also wearing a coat -- and gloves, too -- so that means she’s been here for a while. Joel tells her to move forward, and as soon as she is out of the bushes, Joel grabs her and pushes her toward a tree, so she can’t run away.  Joel starts to search her and see if she has any weapons on her.  “Don't try anything, okay -- believe me, you’ll be dead before you know it.”

“Yeah, I know,  I can see that your daughter is pointing at me with her gun, so don't worry, I’m not going to do anything,” says the woman calmly while Joel continues searching her.

After he finishes the search, he turns her around and puts his gun back in his holster, keeping his other hand pressing her on the chest close to her neck.  “What do you want?” he says with a hard voice.  “If you came here to rob us, you wasted your time -- we’ve got nothing.”

“I`m not a thief or any scum like that, if that’s what you think.  I just came here to warn you about the storm that’s coming, I don't mean any harm,” says the woman, looking at Joel’s eyes.

“Oh really!... Well, I’ll be the judge of that -- now move.” Joel grabs the woman’s arms and puts them behind her back, then takes out a cloth from his back pocket and ties up the woman’s hands.  The woman tries to protest, but stays quiet when Joel finishes, then he starts to push her toward the camp.  

“Do you think that all this is necessary?  I already told you that I don't--” the woman starts talking but is silenced when Joel pushes her again.

“Yeah, all the people say that before they try to kill you, so why should I believe you?  Just move, and you talk when I ask you to.”

“Joel, is everything okay?  Did you find what was making the noise?” Ellie stops asking when she sees Joel pushing a woman out of the trees.

“Yeah, kiddo, everything is fine.  I just caught a hunter... well, a dumb hunter, because she ain’t even carrying a gun.  But keep your eyes open, maybe she’s not alone here,” says Joel, walking with the woman toward the camp.

“Shit, man, I already told you that I'm not a hunter!  I told you that I came here to warn you and your daughter about the storm,” says the woman, trying to turn to look at Joel.

“Yeah.  Just keep walking -- and she’s not my daughter.”  They arrive at the camp in no time. Ellie keeps an eye on her while Joel pushes her down and makes her sit close to the fire.  Joel walks over to his horse, takes out his shotgun, and gets back to the fire again. “Watch her.  I will check around and see if she has some friends hiding out there, okay?”

Ellie moves close to Joel and whispers. “Do you think that she could be some kind of bait for a trap?  She doesn't look like a hunter, but who knows,” Ellie says, looking at the woman now.    

“We need to be sure that she is alone here, and it’s very suspicious that a woman would be in this forest by herself, without a gun or any type of weapon.  This don’t look good, and I have a bad feeling about this, so be careful.  I don't trust her.”

Joel moves out and goes into the trees.  Ellie gets back to the fire and sits in front of the woman. Both girls stay silent for a few minutes, waiting for the other to say something.

“So if you’re not a hunter, what are you doing here?  And why are you spying on us?” asks Ellie, looking at the woman and waiting for her answer.

The woman looks at Ellie with some curiosity.  “I wasn’t spying on you two, I was just passing by, and saw you back there at the trees, a while ago.  So after that, I just came closer to warn you about the storm that is coming tonight.”

“We know about the storm, so we don't need your help on that.  So you live around here, or you’re just passing through, like us?” Ellie asks.  

The woman keeps silent for a moment, then talks again. “I understand that you’re getting suspicious about me, but why are you interrogating me?” asks the woman.

“Because we don't know who you are, and believe me, it’s better me than him.  So it’s better for you to tell us the truth, because even though he doesn't like to kill women, he’ll do it if he has to.”

“Yeah, I can see that, but what about you?  Have you killed someone in cold blood before?” asks the woman, looking at Ellie with some curiosity.

Ellie’s expression changes, getting more furious now.  She doesn't like that accusation, because even though she’s had to kill before, she’s never killed someone that didn’t deserve it.  Ellie gets up and moves close to the woman. “Look, we don't kill people that we don’t need to.  We only kill someone to defend ourselves, so before you start to judge us, think about what you’d do if someone tries to kill you first,” Ellie says, close to her face.

“Sorry, I don't meant to judge you.  I know that we all have to do things to survive. But I just came here to offer my help.  And you two just tied me up and threatened to kill me, so what do you want me to think?” says the woman, more calmly.

“Well, if you didn't come here and try to sneak up on us, you wouldn’t be in this position.  And why do you want to help two strangers that you don't even know, anyway?”  Ellie asks curiously.

“Like I said, I didn't come here to harm you, and I want to help, because you two seem like good people, and it would be a shame if I let you two die here when I can help.”  

“Really!  And you want us to believe that, right?  We survived this long because we don't trust in people that come close to us, some with good intentions, without any reason.  Besides, we don't need your help -- we’ll be out of here before the storm comes,” Ellie says, looking at the woman and trying to determine if she is telling the truth.

“No, you won't be okay out here.  I can see that you put up a tent... if you’re going to spend the night here, you two are going to freeze to death, including your horses.  Because believe me, that storm is going to hit this place tonight and it’s going to be bad.”  

“And you know that, how?” asks Ellie, disbelieving.

“Look, I just know.  I have a place close to here, and I’ve been living in this forest for a few years.  So believe me, those storms can be really brutal if you don't have a good place to stay warm,” says the woman, trying to convince Ellie.

“Well, I think we can manage this.  We’ve gone through winters worse than this.  So I think that you wasted your time by coming here,” says Ellie calmly, looking at the fire now.

“Look, I can understand that you don't trust me, but you’re not going to make it if you two stay here.  I have a little cabin like a mile from here.”  The woman tries to move her hands, but since they are tied behind her back, she can`t.  “I just want to help… it’s not much, but I have food, and you can stay warm inside.  I even have space for your horses.”   

Ellie stays quiet, and starts to think, trying to figure out this woman, and what her intentions really are.  Because from experience, nobody in this world offers any help in exchange for nothing.  “Well, that is a generous offer.  And even If I believed you, why do you want to offer something like that to two strangers?”

“I dunno!... maybe because I’ve been alone for so long that it’s good to have some company these days.  I know that this looks strange to you, but at least you have your fath-- oh, sorry, he said that he’s not… well, you have someone to talk to, and I haven't talked to anybody in years,” says the woman sadly, while she lowers her head and looks at the ground.

Both girls stay quiet, looking at the fire.  To Ellie, the woman looks sincere; she can't tell if she is lying or not.  She looks like a nice person, so maybe she is telling the truth, but she has to wait for Joel.  Almost an hour has passed since Joel left; she starts to get worried.  But just as she is about to stand up and go look for him, she hears someone coming toward the camp.

  
  
  
  



	9. The Bad Storm Part-2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the new person Joel and Ellie found on the road, things are going to change. But is going to be for better or worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 9 : The Bad Storm Part-2**

  
  


Ellie quickly stands up and moves to one of the walls with her gun in hand.  But as soon as she sees who it is, she holsters her gun and runs out of the camp toward him.  When she gets close to him, she hugs him, and he hugs her back.  “Fuck, Joel, that took too long... are you okay?  Did you find anything?” asks Ellie as soon as she moves away from the hug.

Joel is a little surprised; he was only gone for like an hour, so why is Ellie acting like he’s been gone for days?  “Yes, I’m fine, but I checked all the surroundings, and the only trace I found was hers.  Are you okay?  Did she give you any trouble?” asks Joel, looking at her.

Ellie grabs Joel`s right arm and starts to walk with him toward the camp.  “No, she didn't give me any trouble.  But I asked her some questions, and she only told me that she lives in a place close to here.  Also that she saw us earlier and wants to warn us about the storm.”  

“And you believe her?  Even though I didn't find any trace of other people here.  It’s a little suspicious that she’s not carrying any weapon on her, and lives here alone,” says Joel while they keep walking.

“Yeah, I know, and I know that we shouldn't trust anyone.  But she doesn't look like a bad person, and I don't see any sign that she is lying.”

“Well, we need to be careful.  Some people can be good at that.  But don't worry -- I can get more information out of her,” says Joel, smiling.

“Jeez, Joel, you’re not going to torture her... right?” asks Ellie, looking at him a little worried.

“Of course not -- well, not if I don't need to.  But you know that I don't like to do that to women.”

“Well, that’s good to know.  She seems okay to me.  Also, she said that she has food,” says Ellie, smiling a little.

Ellie lets go of Joel’s arm as soon as they enter the little camp.  She knows that it’s better if she lets Joel do the rest of the interrogation, so she continues walking toward the horses while Joel walks toward the fire.  He sits in front of the woman and starts to look at her without saying anything.

The woman doesn't know what to do or say; if the young girl wasn’t intimidating enough, her old old man is.  He looks like he is 50 or 60 years old, but he looks like he’s in good shape, and strong enough that he can kill her easily if he wants to.  So she thinks that she’d better choose her words wisely.

“Look, I can see that you and your... young partner, don't trust strangers -- don't worry, I get that.  But you two can't stay here.  A storm is coming tonight, and if you stay here, you’re going to freeze to death,” says the woman calmly.

Joel looks at the woman with some curiosity, not getting yet why this woman wants to help them. “I know about the storm, and I don't think that it’s coming that soon.  But the question is why do you care? You don't know us, so I don't get why you’re so interested in helping us. Besides, we’ll be gone before the storm hits here, so we’re going to be fine.”

“No!  You’re wrong -- the storm is going to hit tonight, and that little tent is not going to help you, believe me,” says the woman, trying to convince him of the danger.

“How are you so sure that it’s going to hit tonight?  Or the better question is, why did you come here to tell us that?” asks Joel quickly.

“Look, maybe this seems strange to you, but I don't want to see you two die here.  You look like decent people, and believe me, this storm could be really bad.  I’ve been living in this mountain for 4 years, so I know how hard this storm can be.”

“Oh, now I know that you’re lying -- nobody is going to live in this mountain for that long alone and without any weapons,” says Joel, standing up and moving close to the woman with a serious look.

The woman tries to move away to protect herself, but her hands are tied behind her back so there’s not much she can do.

“Hey… hey… I didn’t lie -- I never said that I don't have any weapons, just not on me.  Also, I never said that I lived alone here,” the woman says nervously.

“Oh, yeah, you didn’t lie to us, ummm… just didn’t tell us the whole truth, is that it?  It’s going to be better for us if I just kill you right now, and deal with your partners later,” says Joel, taking his gun out and pointing it at the woman’s head.  

“Please don't kill me!... just let me explain... please!” the woman starts to plead with Joel.

Ellie sees what Joel is going to do so she moves quickly to Joel’s side and puts her hand on Joel’s gun.  “Joel, just wait, okay?  Let’s hear what she has to say... you don't need to do that… yet, okay?” Ellie doesn't know why she wants to trust this woman.  Joel looks at Ellie with a surprised expression.   _I don't know why Ellie wants to protect this woman so bad... we don’t know her story, and all the things she said could be lies.  I can’t see what this woman is trying to do, but maybe I can try Ellie's way first._ Whatever the reason is, he trusts Ellie, so he moves his gun away for now, and tries to listen to this woman.

After Joel holsters his gun, Ellie grabs his arm and sits in front of the woman.  “Look, we’re not bad people, but we can’t let you risk our lives.  So if you live with other people that could be a threat to us, just tell us.  We don’t want any trouble, but we will defend ourselves if we have to,” says Ellie to the woman with a soft voice.

“I don't want any trouble either.  Look, like I told you before, I live in a cabin close to here.  Lived there with my father and little brother, but they are gone now, so no need to worry about them. And the weapons I have are just a few knives and an old rifle that I use to hunt.”

The woman starts to tell them some of her story, how she and her family came from the west, and found the cabin a few years ago.  She doesn't give them too much detail, but lets them know that a year ago, her father and brother went out to hunt and never came back.  Sadly, she tells them that she looked for them for months but never found them.  So she stayed in the cabin alone, surviving the best way she can.  By the time she finishes, the night has already fallen, and snow starts to fall.  The winds start to get stronger too, so Joel and Ellie stand up and move away, leaving the woman alone at the fire pit.   

“Do you believe all that?” whispers Joel to Ellie as soon as they’re away from the woman.

“I don't know... she seems sincere, and what she told us doesn't feel like she just invented all that,” says Ellie, looking at the woman.

“Well, I still have my doubts, but I think that she’s right about the storm, and if it’s as bad as she says, the tent is not going to protect us much, or the horses.”

“So what do you suggest?  Should we accept her offer and go with her to the cabin?” asks Ellie.

“Well, we don't have too many choices here.  If we stay here, we’re going to freeze, and the horses.  And since you want to trust this woman, maybe we can go to her house and keep an eye on her, just in case,” says Joel.

“Yeah, that can work... we can stay with her until tomorrow, then go on with our travel later in the day.  She also mentioned that she has enough food, so maybe we can trade or something for some of that,” says Ellie.

“Okay, go talk to her.  I will dismantle the tent and prepare the horses,” says Joel, looking in the woman’s direction.  And when he sees that she’s not looking at them, he gives Ellie a quick kiss on her lips.  “Just keep your eyes open... I don't want any surprises, okay?” Joel is hoping that this goes well; the last thing he needs right now is trouble.

“Don't worry -- I have the feeling that we’re going to be fine.”  Ellie passes one hand over his cheek and smiles.  Then she walks toward the fire while Joel moves to the tent to work on it. Ellie stops in front of the woman, looks at her, and after a minute, she speaks.  “Okay, we’re going to accept your offer, and go with you to your house.  We can see that you were right about the storm, so we don't have any other options if we want to stay alive.”

“Oh, that’s great.  I'm glad that you’re going to accept it, you and your… ummm partner, can stay in my cabin until the storm passes.”  The woman smiles a little.  “So now that everything’s good, do you think that you can take care of this?”  The woman moves to show Ellie her hands.

“Oh… right, sorry about that, but we need to be careful with the people we find... not everyone has good intentions, you know,” says Ellie, moving behind the woman and kneeling.  Ellie starts  to untie her hands when the woman speaks.

“Yeah, I know what you mean.  It’s perfectly normal -- there’s a lot of people in this country that like to take advantage of others.”  As soon as Ellie finishes, both women stand up and face each other.  “Well, thanks for trusting me.  I’m glad that there’s still some good people out there.  Oh, by the way, my name is Bibi,” says the woman, extending her hand to Ellie.

Ellie doesn't know what to say in that moment; Joel doesn't like to use their real names when they go outside, especially hers.  But who cares now?  Nobody knows who they are, and she doesn't think that the Fireflies are still looking for her.  That ship sank 5 years ago, even if Joel still worries sometimes that they’re going to find them and take Ellie away.  “Oh, sorry, nice to meet you… my name is Ellie, and the big guy is Joel.”

“Well, Ellie, it’s a pleasure to meet you.  Well, it’s a pleasure _now,_ ” she says, smiling.  “My cabin is like a mile from here, so it’s better if we go as soon as possible.  The storm is going to get worse soon, and that’s a little far on foot, so.”

“Ah, don't worry about that -- we can help Joel, then we can use the horses to get there faster,” says Ellie, moving away.

After half an hour, they finish getting everything back into the saddlebags, and get out of there.  It’s very dark, and the snow and wind don't help much on the way to the cabin.  Joel lets the woman ride one of the horses while Ellie mounts with him on the other.  The woman is riding in the front, guiding them to the place, but Joel just wants to keep an eye on her.  Even though this woman seems okay, he never completely trusts anybody.     

It takes one hour to get to the cabin.  By that time, the wind is worse, and it’s snowing more.  The cabin isn’t big, but has a place in the back where they can put the horses so they can be warm.  They dismount the horses, and the woman tells Ellie to take them to the back while she shows Joel the inside of the cabin.  Joel told Ellie before they arrived there to be alert in case this was a trap, and that he was going inside first, to be sure that nobody was there.  After Joel checks the place and doesn't see anything suspicious, he calls Ellie inside.  The woman tells Joel that she hunted a deer a few days ago, and that she has plenty of meat left in storage in the basement.  Joel asks Ellie to help the woman in the kitchen while he goes to the basement and gets the meat.  The woman starts the fire in the fireplace and goes to the kitchen with Ellie to prepare some dinner.  And after a few hours, they are out of their winter clothes and sitting around the kitchen table, eating.

“How is the food, do you like it?  I harvested the potatoes myself, but my father taught me how.  He worked with my grandpa on a farm before all this shit started,” says the woman, trying to start some conversation.

“Ummmm… it’s great... thanks!  We’ve been… eating canned food for… a few weeks, so this is great,” says Ellie with her mouth full.

“Shit, girl, try to swallow the food before talking.  You look like you haven't eaten anything in weeks,” says Joel, laughing a little.

“Well… eating from cans... is not the same as real food… so this is great,” answers Ellie, taking the last bit of her meat, then looking at the woman. “Can I have a little more?”

“Ellie, I think that you ate enough -- I don't want you to get sick in the morning.  Besides, we don't want to take too much advantage of our host,” says Joel, grabbing one of her hands.

“Oh, it’s okay, I have plenty.  Don't worry about it.  You two can eat all you want.  Give me your plate and let me bring you some more.”  The woman gets up and goes to the stove, where the food is.  While putting the food on the plate, she looks out the window.  “Oh, it seems like the storm is worse… that means it’s going to snow all night, and maybe for a few days more.”  

“Shit, that’s going to complicate things.  We want to get going in the morning,” says Joel, standing up and going to the window to see for himself.

“Well, that’s not going to happen.  All the surroundings are going to be blocked by the snow now.  So I'm afraid that you two are going to be stuck here for a while.”  Then the woman walks to the table and gives Ellie the plate with more meat and potatoes.  “Here, Ellie, I'm glad that you enjoyed that.  I can see that you two haven't  been eating well,” says the woman, sitting down again and watching Ellie eat.

“Thanks for your hospitality, but we need to move out as soon as we can,” says Joel, still looking through the window.

“Oh, it’s okay, you two can stay here all the time you need.  The cabin only has two bedrooms... one is mine and the other was my father’s, so you can stay in that one.  I don't know if that’s okay with you two... I mean, you told me that she’s not your daughter, so I don't know if you two are… Anyway, your room is going to be the one on the right.  You can get some rest if you want... well, when you’re done eating, of course.”   

“Thanks, that’s very generous of you.”  Joel walks to the table and looks at Ellie.  “I’m going to check the horses and give them some food and water.  I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Joel walks to the door and grabs his coat and gloves, puts them on, then he goes outside.  The woman just looks at Ellie while she finishes the food.  

“So you two come from somewhere?  Or just travel around all the time?” asks Bibi.

Ellie stops eating and looks at the woman.  She doesn't want to lie to the person who’s been so kind to them.  But it’s better for everyone if she doesn’t know much about them.  So sometimes, lies are necessary.  “We travel a lot... we like to stay away from infected areas, and hunters, you know.”

“Oh, I see, yeah, that’s cool.  So… I know this is none of my business, but you and Joel are… ummm together or something?”  

“Why do you ask?” says Ellie quickly.

“Nothing, just curious... you two act strange sometimes, that’s all,” says the woman, trying to check Ellie’s reaction.

“Well, Joel and I… we’re partners, and we travel together.  I don't want to be rude, but we don't like to talk about that,” says Ellie, taking the plate from the table and standing up.  She walks to the sink and starts to wash the plate.  

“Oh, you don't need to do that, and I'm sorry for asking you that.  I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.  It’s just that I don't know anything about you two, and I can see that you two seem-- I dunno, sorry, I'm not good at this -- I haven’t had company in a long time--” She stops when she hears the door open and sees Joel enter.  Some of the wind and snow enters the cabin, too, before he closes the door.

“Shit, that was worse than I thought.  We probably need to stay here for at least one more day, if the storm continues like that-- is everything okay?” asks Joel when he looks at the two girls.  

“Yeah, we were just talking, you know... woman things,” says Ellie, smiling at him.

“Okay, I'm tired and I know that you two are too, so the bathroom is over there, if you want to clean yourselves up.  See you in the morning -- have a good night.”  The woman starts walking toward her room when she hears Joel say something.   

“Hey, thanks for letting us stay here, ummm Bibi, right?” says Joel.   

“Ah, don't worry about that… it’s good to have some people here… again, umm okay, good night.”

After the woman gets inside her room, Joel looks at Ellie.  “What the hell was that?  Are you sure that everything is okay, because if--” He is silenced by Ellie.

“Joel, it’s okay, we were just talking, you know... nothing serious.  The horses are okay?” asks Ellie, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, they’re fine.  The storm is getting worse, so why don’t we just go and clean up and get some rest, okay?”  Joel moves closer and hugs her; he was going to kiss her, but remembers that they’re not alone in the house.  So he looks in the direction of the women's room to make sure that she’s not looking.  Then he turns again and gives Ellie a little kiss.

“It’s too bad that we can’t do anything here,” says Ellie, smiling.  “C'mon, let's go and get some rest.”  Joel smiles too, and grabs the bags that he brought from the horses, then walks with Ellie toward the bathroom.  After that, they both go to the room that Bibi told them to sleep in, and go to bed.  Joel can't believe that this woman can be so nice to them.  He doesn't want to say anything to Ellie, but he needs to keep an eye on her, because in this world, no one gives anything for nothing.

  



	10. When Trust Goes Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Joel and Ellie meet woman on the forest, thing not go the way they helping to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention.

**Chapter 10 : When Trust Goes Wrong**

  


***Four days later***

  


(with Joel)

_“Tommy, what are you doing?  Slow down!”_

_“Sorry, but you saw the news?  We need to get out of town, as soon as possible.”_

_“This is crazy -- what the hell is going on?  Did you see that explosion?”_

_“Daddy, I'm scared.”_

_“Don't worry, baby, we’re going to be fine... Tommy, watch out!”_

_“Sarah!... Sarah, baby, are you okay?”_

_“My foot hurts.”_

_“It’s okay, it’s okay… I’ll carry you... c’mon.  Tommy, we need to move.”_

_“This way, quick.  We need to find a new way to get out of town, away from these people -- follow me.”_

_“This is just crazy -- why is this happening?”_

_“Daddy?”_

_“It’s okay, baby.  We’re going to get out of here soon... Tommy!”_

_“Fuck, there’s so many... going that way.  I’ll distract them, and catch up -- go... now!”_

_“Daddy, what happened to those people?”_

_“I don't know, baby, but we’re going to be out of here soon, okay?”_

_“Stop right there!”_

_“Hey, my little girl is hurt... we just need help.”_

_“I said don't move!”_

_“Please... we’re not sick, we just need help.  What are you doing, please... noooo!”_

_“Joooeeeell”_

_Ka-BAM!_

“Noooooooo!!!!” Joel screams at the sound, and opens his eyes desperately.  He starts to gasp for air, as his heart is beating rapidly.  He starts to look around, but it’s dark, and he barely sees anything there.  He’s confused and in pain, not knowing where he is or what happened.  He doesn't even understand why he just had this nightmare about Sarah, and heard Ellie’s voice at the end.  He tries to get up, can't, and then he hears a woman’s voice.

“Hey, just breathe slow, okay, and calm down.  We’re fine here.  I think that you just had a nightmare.”

“Ellie?” Joel asks quickly, trying to see the woman beside him.

“No, it’s Bibi… do you remember me?” asks the woman nervously.

“What the hell is going on?... What happened? ...and where is Ellie?” Joel starts to ask, more agitated this time.

“I’m so sorry, please forgive me... I tried to help you both, but it was too late.  And before you do anything, just let me--” She is interrupted by Joel.

“The food, and those men… Oh, yeah, I remember now… you bitch!  You drugged us, and then you brought those men to the cabin, and let them take Ellie with them.  I trusted you when I shouldn’t have, and Ellie did, too.  And you… you just sold us out, to those people.  Do you know what they’re going to do to her?” Joel starts accusing her, more furiously.

“Please just let me explain... it’s not the way you think.  I didn't have any choice, and-- urgg… urgg… please, I just tried to help you--” She can barely speak after Joel sits up and grabs her by the neck.

“Yeah, you didn’t have any choice -- people like you always say that.  Those men have my Ellie, but don’t worry, I’m going to find them and kill them all.  But in your case, I can do that right now?” Joel tries to move more, but he feels a lot of pain and dizziness.  He tightens his grip on her neck, trying to suffocate her with one hand.

“Urrg… please… she is … safe… they’re not going to do… anything to her… I just want to… help you get her… back,” Bibi starts to say, but Joel’s grip is strong, and she starts to have some difficulty breathing.  She is using her hands to try to get loose from Joel’s grip, but her efforts are in vain.

“Yeah, and you want me to believe you now, right?  You’re going to pay for this, and when I find your friends, I’m going to make them--” Joel stops talking when he starts to feel dizzy again.  Then he sees her put one hand in her pocket and take something out.

“They’re not… my friends… and I know… where they are… I can help you… to find your wife… here,” Bibi says, showing what she has in her hand.

“What did you say?” Joel asks while he moves his hand away from her neck and looks at the ring she’s holding in her hand.  

“I'm so sorry for all this…”  She starts to cough while trying to speak to Joel.  “I really am… you two were so nice, and--”  She stops talking when she sees the sadness in Joel’s eyes as soon as he takes the ring out of her hand and starts to look a it.

Joel looks at the ring while he feels some tears forming in his eyes.  But he is not going to do that now, not in front of this woman.  He needs to be tough; he needs to find Ellie and bring her back to him.  He is not going to lose her like that, but first, he needs to know where those men took her, and the only person that knows that is in front of him.  “Why do you have this?  Did you steal that from her, too?” asks Joel, looking at her more furiously.  Just thinking that this woman gave Ellie to those men -- just for robbing them -- gives Joel more desire to kill her right here, but he needs to wait.

“No, of course not.  I found the ring on the kitchen floor before I had to get out of there.  She must have dropped it before they took her,” Bibi says while she puts one hand on her throat, as she’s still gasping for some air.  “And if you are asking yourself how I know she is your wife, she told me the night before all this happened.  I noticed the ring on her finger and asked her about that when you weren’t in the room.”  

“Fuck, she told you about that, and you-- you just betrayed her?  How can you do that?  She is just--”  Joel tries to stand up again, but the pain starts again, so he goes back down and stays sitting on the floor.  He tries to stay calm, but all that is on his mind is Ellie, and what those men are going to do to her.

“Yeah, I’m not proud of that, but you need to know why I had to do that.  Now try not to move so much... you hit your head when I had to push you off the cliff and you landed in the river below. The one I showed you 2 days ago?  And believe me, we almost died from that -- the water was freezing.”  The woman goes to the fire pit, takes a bowl with some liquid on it, and goes back to where Joel is.  She is trembling when she offers Joel the bowl, not only from the cold but from what Joel can still do to her.  Not like she doesn’t understand his motive to do that, but if she wants to help them, she needs to stay alive.  “Here, drink this.  It’s going to make you feel better, okay?”

“I don't need your help -- at least not with this, but I need you to tell me where I can find her,” says Joel, looking at the bowl, then at her.  “Do you think I’m going to drink that after what you did?  How do I know you didn’t add some poison or drug in there?”  

“Look, I know that I'm not the best person in this world right now.  But I promise you that we’re going to get them back.  We need each other to do that, so why would I kill you or drug you?  So you can be sure that there’s no drug in that bowl... look, I will take a sip to prove it.”  The woman takes the bowl and drinks from it.  “See?  No drugs in there.  Here, just drink it -- it’s something that my dad prepared... you will feel better after.”  Bibi offers the bowl to Joel again, but he just gives her a look, so she just puts the bowl on the floor close to him.

“What do you mean by ‘get them back’?” Joel asks the woman in front of him.

“Look, I want to fix this, okay, but to do that, you need to know why I have to do this.  I know that you think that I'm a bad person.  And that you don't care why I have to do this, but I need you to understand?”

“Save your story for someone who cares, lady, I just need to know one thing from you:  where can I find Ellie?”

“Well, I’m going to tell you anyway.  Not everything I told you both was a lie... some of that was true.  And the reason why I have no choice is because they have my son.  Well, not exactly my biological son, but I’ve been taking care of him since he was two years old.”

“And you want me to believe anything you say?” says Joel, looking at her.

“It’s the truth.  My mom was killed by infected when I was 18, so after that, it was just me and my father.  One day, we found this woman at some abandoned town... she was wounded, and  had the boy in her arms.  She didn't tell us much, but she made me promise to take care of her baby.  She said that the little boy was special, and that someday he would help this place to be a better one.  We didn't understand what she meant by that, and she died the next day.  So we buried her body and took the child with us.  As the years passed, the boy thought that I was his mother, so I kept it that way.  And when we found the cabin in the forest, and there wasn’t anyone close to here, we decided to make that our permanent home.  

“I thought you said that he was your brother, and that you never found him or your father after they disappeared?” asks Joel, trying to gauge her reaction.

“Yeah, I know I said that, but I couldn't tell you the truth at that time... but some of the things that I told you and Ellie were true.  We all have secrets that we don't want to share, and I know that not all the things you told me were true either, so you can't blame me for that.”

“Yeah, but we don't lie to people to fuck them up.”

“Maybe, but they already killed my father, and I can't let them kill my boy.  Maybe you’re going to say that he’s not my real son, so why do this, but to me, he is.  I'm sorry I had to do this to you two, but like I said, if I didn't do this, they were going to kill my boy,” says the woman with a sad expression now.  She turns her head away and looks at the fire, just feeling ashamed of what she did.  Joel stays quiet, looking at the woman.  He doesn't want to believe her; she already lied before.  But he doesn't have a choice: this woman knows where Ellie is.  So if he wants to save her, he needs to work with this woman.

“Ok, what happened?  I don't remember much, because of the drug.  I just remember some men taking Ellie out of the house.  And what is this place?  It looks like a cave or something.”   

Bibi looks at him, surprised that Joel wants to talk to her.  “It’s an old mine.  My father found it last year, when he was hunting.  He thought that it was a good idea to keep this place hidden, to store some food and things we can use later, if something happens,” Bibi starts to explain.

“So how do you know these people?  And how did we end up on that cliff, where you said that you pushed me?” Joel starts to ask.

“Oh yeah, well, where do I start!... Well, I already told you that they killed my father and took my son.  After they found me, they made a deal with me.  They told me that if I give them food, and find people that they can trade off, they won't kill me or my son.  So I have to do what they tell me, and they keep my boy with them.”

“Wait a minute, did you say find people to trade them?” asks Joel, almost yelling.  

“Yeah, they take people they find -- especially young women -- to trade them. But don't worry, I'm sure Ellie is going to be okay,” says the woman with some confidence.

“OK?... I know this kind of people, and what they do to women -- they sell them to be sex slaves.  Do you know what they’re going to do to Ellie now?  This is worse than I imagined.”  Joel tries again to stand up.  After hearing this, he needs to find Ellie as soon as possible.  “We need to find her now, so stop talking and take me to them,” says Joel with a hard voice.

“Whoa whoa… hold yourself right there -- we can’t do anything right now!  The storm hasn’t stopped yet, and you don't feel good, so it’s going to be pointless to go out and--” Bibi stops when she sees Joel get up and move close to her.  

“I don't care about all that, I need to find Ellie... NOW!” Joel yells at her.

Bibi gets up from where she’s sitting close to the fire, ready to run if Joel tries to kill her again. “Look, there’s too much snow out there to get out, but that is good for us, too.  Their camp is like a day from here, and because of the snow, it’s probably going to take more time for them to get there.  And if they have a buyer for Ellie, that person is going to need more time to get there, too.”      

“That doesn’t matter -- they’re going to rape her if I don't get there in time,” says Joel, looking around for his stuff.  “Where’s my bag, my guns, and the horses?”  

“They’re not going to do that, so calm down.  I managed to save some of your stuff, but they took the horses and the other things that were in the cabin, then they burned it down.  But don’t worry, I have guns and other stuff here that we can use.”

“They took the horses, too?... So now, how are we going to get to them in time?” asks Joel, desperate.

“The storm is going to slow them down and because of the horses, they need to take the long way there.  So that way, we can use my shortcut, and that can take us there faster.”.  

“You said that their place is two days from here, so how much time have we been in here?” asks Joel, more calmly this time.

“One day, but--”

“A DAY!... That means that they’ve already arrived at their camp.”

“Like I said, they need to take the long way, because of the snow and the horses.  Yes, they must be there by now, but even if they are, they need to wait for the buyer, if they already have one.  So we can use that time to make a plan and get there.  Also, they think that we are dead, so we have the advantage on that, too.  They’re not expecting us, so it’s going to be easier to rescue Ellie and Liam,” says Bibi, moving close to the fire.     

“Liam… that’s the name of your boy?” asks Joel, walking slowly toward the fire, too.

“Yeah, that’s his name... well, the one I gave him.  His mother never told me the name of the boy, even when I asked her.  I don't know her reason for that, but that's okay with me, because it gave me the chance to name him myself.”

“Look, storm or not, we need to get moving.  I don't want Ellie to be with those men any longer than necessary.”

“Don't worry, she’s going to be fine.  I told you that we’re going to get them back, and we’re going to do that.  But we need to eat and rest and after that, I’ll show you all the things I have, so we can think of a plan.”  

“Ahh, we don't need a plan, because I already know what I’m going to do.  I will kill all those motherfuckers if they dare to put one finger on my girl,” says Joel, now sitting in front of the fire with a serious expression on his face.  


	11. The Slaver Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie find herself in a place she not want to be.

**Chapter 11 : The Slaver Camp**

 

 

( A little way back)

 

The day that the slave traders arrived at the cabin, it was midday.  The woman that lives there was supposed to help them with their task; she sent a message, telling them that she had two people to pick up.  One was an old man, the other, a young woman, and that she was going to drug them by the time they arrived.  When the woman had to make a deal with them, they’d given her a cv radio to contact them if she found any people that they can use.  But when they arrived to pick them up, the woman betrayed them, as she tried to help the girl.  So they decided to kill her, but she managed to escape into the forest.  And when they found her on a cliff, she was with the old man that was supposed to be with the girl.  The traders shot at them, but they fell from the cliff into a frozen river below.  The men assumed that they didn’t survive the fall, so they moved out with Ellie.

The storm was still going on, but not as strong as before.  As snow was still falling, most of the path on the forest was not accessible, or at least too difficult to travel on.  The slavers were using a small carriage to transport Ellie and all the things they could take from the cabin.  As they thought that Bibi and the old man were dead, they took Ellie and Joel’s horses, too, before they burned the cabin.  The drug that Bibi used on Joel and Ellie started to wear off in the middle of the travel back to their camp.  As soon as Ellie started to notice that she wasn’t in the cabin, she tried to get out of the carriage.  But before she could do something, one of the men saw her and hit her with the handle of his rifle, knocking her out.  The slavers arrived at their camp on the morning of the second day after they captured Ellie.  The camp was a small ski resort back in the old days.  The place was just a main building that was used for the staff and guests that go and work there.  The other structures were the small cabins for the visitors that stayed at the resort.  But now most of them were in ruin, and the slavers were using the place as a base.  Just a few of them were still in good condition, so the slavers used those to keep the people they captured.  The group was not big, just 14 men and their leader, so they were 15 in total.  Just 5 of them were sent out to the cabin to collect the merchandise; they usually sent less to get the food and other things that the girl could find for them, but since she said that one of the two people she had in the cabin was a strong man, the leader sent more.  Ellie was still unconscious when they arrived, so they put her in one of the small cabins and took the other things to the boss.   

 

( Present time)

Ellie opens her eyes and wipes them a little.  She starts to look at her surroundings to find out where she is.  She notices that she’s lying on an old mattress and covered with a heavy sheet, and she feels a little cold in there.  The room is small, but has two more mattresses in there, besides the one she’s on… however, no one else is there.  The place is a little dark, as the windows are covered with some wood paneling, but there’s a little glass window in the ceiling. Ellie thinks that it must be day time, because some light is coming in through there.  She doesn't remember how she got to that place, but she is sure that it’s not the cabin where she was with Joel. 

She starts to feel some pain in her head, so she moves one hand to touch it, and notices some blood there.  The blood is almost dry, but her head still hurts.  She tries to remember what happened… who hit her, and why.  So she lays down and closes her eyes, trying harder to remember, but the pain doesn’t help her much.  The last thing she remembers was being in the kitchen with Bibi, eating some lunch after Joel went out to get some water.  Joel... she starts to think of him... where is he, why is he not there with her?  But then she starts to remember she was talking with Bibi when she started to feel dizzy.  After that, a few men entered the cabin and started to argue with the woman... she remembers being grabbed by one of them.  The next thing she remembers is waking up in some kind of vehicle with horses... after that, everything went black again. 

Joel!... she needs to find out what happened to him.  He wasn’t in the cabin when those men showed up, so maybe he got away.  Yeah, that could be a good thing... that way, he must be close to here, making a plan to rescue her.  But where was Bibi?  Did she get away too, or do they have her here?  After she tries to make out the room, she notices that it’s a bedroom, for a  larger house or something.  Now she can see some light under the door, so that must be coming from the next room.  Ellie starts to get up from the mattress when she hears a door open on the other side, and then some people start talking.  

“Hey, did the girl wake up?” asks a man that just entered the place.   

“I dunno… I don't hear any noise from inside the room, so I assume that she’s still out,” answers another one.

“Are you stupid?  You’ve been here all morning and you haven’t even checked on her?”  

“Hey, it’s cold in here, and not even the chimney can keep this place warm.  Also, Parker said that we can't touch her, because that girl is valuable to the boss,” says the man, sitting in a chair close to the fire. 

“Shit, if she’s dead or seriously injured in there, the boss is going to kill you,” says the new man that entered the cabin a few moments ago.  He starts to walk toward the door of the little room where they’re keeping Ellie, but he stops when he hears the door of the cabin open again.

“What’s going on here?... Why isn’t the girl ready yet?  The boss is asking for her,” says another man as soon as he enters the cabin.

“Sorry, Parker, I just got here, so I don't know if she’s awake or not,” says the man that walked in a few minutes ago.

“Fuck, you two are so incompetent -- get out of my way and give me that,” says Parker, asking for some boots and a coat that are on a small table.  One of the other men goes to the table, grabs the coat and boots, and gives them to him.  The new man grabs them and walks toward the room’s door. 

Ellie is standing up when she hears the door open and sees two men standing there.  Her first intuition is to fight them; only one of them has a gun pointing at her, and the other has some clothes in his hands.  But she doesn’t want to take the risk, at least not for now, and not in her condition.

But this is not going to end well... maybe she can take out the one with the gun, but she doesn't know how many men are outside, especially if they have guns.  So she needs to evaluate the situation in here and try a better way to get away from these people, especially if Joel escaped and he is on his way there.  For now, it’s better for her to play along and give Joel more time to get here. 

“It’s going to be better for you not to try anything; we don't want to hurt you again.  It’s not going to be good if something happens to you,” says Parker, pointing his gun at her. 

“What do you want with me?” asks Ellie, trying to sound clueless.

“Here, put this on -- it’s cold outside, and the boss wants to see you.  And if you want to know what he wants from you, maybe you can ask him that,” says the man, tossing the coat and boots at her. 

Ellie catches the things and starts to put them on.  She needs to be sure that Joel escaped; she can't ask about him, just in case they don't know that another person was with her.  But Bibi was in the cabin when they took her, because she remembers her arguing with one of the men that brought her here.  After she finishes, one of the men gets inside the room and starts to push her toward the door of the room.  “Hey, watch it, I can walk all by myself, you ass,” Ellie says, looking angrily at the man.  

“Just fucking move -- we don't have all day for this, you little bitch.” 

Ellie wants to kill the man right there, but that’s not going to be good for her right now.  The three men escort her outside the little cabin, and now she has a better view of the place.  She needs to check out all that she can, to get a better knowledge of the place when the time comes to escape.

Ellie wants to know what happened to Bibi, but that can wait for now.  She is lucky that they gave her the coat; it seems like the storm is over, but it’s cold, and still snowing a little.  The place isn’t big, from what she can see:  just a few cabins that might be habitable, and a main building that looks like a big house.  Joel showed her a place like this once, in a magazine.  He told her that people liked to come to a place like this on vacation to ski in the snow.  Man, people did a lot of strange things, before all this happened.    

She continues looking around, trying to use everything that Joel taught her: checking all her surroundings... looking at people’s expressions to find out if they are lying... or to get any weakness out of them.  After a few minutes, they arrive at the big house.  There was another man at the front door with a rifle; as far as she can see, these people are well-armed.  But the entire place isn’t very well protected -- they don’t have any walls or something like that.  Just some old cars that are being used to block some of the parts that surround the place.  It looks like these people haven’t been here for too long, and haven’t had the time to make this place more defendable.   

One of the men opens the door and pushes her inside, but only one of the men enters with her; the other two stay outside.  When Ellie is inside, the man tells her to take the coat off and follow him.  She can see that a few men are in there also, with guns.  The man escorts her to another room that looks like a big dining room, so this must be where the guest people ate when the hotel was functional, a long time ago.  The place looks clean and in good condition, so that means that not many people came here after the virus, and the place was preserved, after.     

“Stay here, and don't try anything stupid -- the place is surrounded, and you’re not going to be able to get far, even if you manage to get out of the building,” the man says, pushing her close to the table.  “The boss is going to be here soon.  Be nice and you’re not going to get hurt.” Ellie looks at the man, and doesn’t like the way this is going.  She tries to read him, and notices that this man is not like the others.  

“Oh, c’mon, Parker, that’s not the way to treat a lady, especially a valued guest like her,” says a man entering the room from another door.  Ellie thinks that he must be the boss here.  He enters  the room with two men, one with a machine gun, and the other one has a tray with some food. The boss man looks a little fat, just like Bill was.  He acts more civilized than the other men in here.  He doesn't look much like the hunters she and Joel have encountered before, but she can’t trust in that -- people like that can be worse, just like David was before he tried to kill her and eat her.  She needs to play this right if she wants to get out of there alive. 

“What do you want with me?... Why did you bring me here?” Ellie starts to ask, looking at the man to see what he does. 

“Well, you look like a smart girl, I thought you’d know that by now… how old are you?” asks the man while he moves closer to her.

“That’s none of your business.  You brought me here by force, I just--” she stops when she feels a hand on her shoulder.  She tries to look back, but the man who escorted her there is grabbing her hard.  

“Oh, but it is now.  And it’s better for business if I have more information on you.  That can raise the price for you, if I make you look more interesting.  Now sit.  I know that you must be hungry, so we can eat while we talk about all this,” says the man with a calm voice. 

“What the hell are you talking about?... I’m not property!… you son of a bitch!... if you think that I--ahh!” Ellie whimpers when the man behind her squeezes her shoulder hard.

“I'm a businessman, and I always try to do things more… how do I say that.  Oh yeah... more civilized.  I don't like to damage the merchandise, but if you want to be difficult, I have other methods that I can use... Now sit,” the man says, then walks to the other side of the table.  The man behind Ellie forces her to sit in a chair in front of her.  Then the man with the tray puts two plates of food on the table.  

Ellie watches the man with a disgusted expression while he sits in a chair on the other side of the table.  “I'm not hungry!” Ellie says quickly without looking at the food.

“Oh… I can see that you’re a little fighter... that could be good or bad for you.  Some customers like that, you know.  They like to break a woman’s spirit like yours, just for fun,” says the man, smiling.  “Now eat... I can’t let my property die of starvation, and I know that you haven’t eaten recently.”

“Look, I don't care who you are, but is--”

“Oh yeah, where are my manners?  We haven’t been introduced yet.  My name is Oscar... what is yours?” asks the man while he puts a napkin on his lap.

“FUCK YOU!... I’m not going to tell you shit!” 

“Listen, girl, you’re lucky that I’m in a good mood.  My men brought me a few precious things, including you and some horses.  So try to be nicer before you test my patience and make me do something I don't want to.” 

Ellie wants to kill this man so bad now.  He is going to sell her as a slave, and she knows what that means, for a woman.  In other circumstances, she’d prefer to die before she let that happen, but now she has others to consider.  But she needs to get out of there before that happens.  “If you think that I’m going to play your game, you are wrong.  So it’s going to be better for you if you just let me go, and I want my horses, too,” says Ellie, looking at him.  

“Oh, is that so ummm!… Are you expecting someone to come to help you?... Ummm, well I hope you’re not talking about that traitor woman from the cabin, are you?!” asks the man while he takes one bite of the food.  

“Where is she, and what have you done with her?” Ellie asks with a harsh voice. 

“Oh, don't worry, she’s not going to be sold like you.  But that’s a shame... she was very helpful for my business and for gathering food,” says the man, taking another bite of the food.

“What do you mean by ‘was’?... What did you do to her?” Ellie is more furious now.

“Why do you care?... She was the one that told us about you and that old man that was with you.”

“What!” says Ellie with a surprised face. 

“Oh… You look surprised!... Well, if you want to know, my men told me that she drugged you and that old man so when they arrived there, they could pick you up without a fight.  But I think that she changed her mind, because they also told me that she tried to help you when they got there.  But that doesn’t matter now -- both of them are dead, so if you’re expecting a rescue, you can forget it,” says the man, more serious now.

Ellie gets up from the chair and hits the table hard with her hands.  “You’re a lying bastard, and if you think that this is going to end well for you, you’re mistaken.”  Quickly the man behind her pushes her back to the chair and points his gun at her head. 

“Now, now… let’s not make this harder than it needs to be.  Like I said before, I don't want to damage the merchandise.” 

“FUCK YOU!” Ellie says, spitting on the man’s face, then she shoves the food in front of her on the floor.  She wanted to do this differently, but now that she’s not sure if this man is telling the truth about Joel, she doesn't know what to do.  If Joel is really dead, she doesn’t want to live without him.  But she needs to be strong.  It’s not just her now; she can't die like that.  She wishes that she had the time to talk to Joel before all this, and let him know.  She needs to escape somehow and survive; Joel would want that. 

The man gets up and walks beside her, and grabs her by the neck hard.  “I want to do this the nicest way possible, girl, but maybe it’s better if I can teach you some manners before--” 

The man stops when he hears a young man enter the room abruptly.  “Hey boss, we received a call on the radio from that client that was coming here... he wants to talk with you, sir.”  

“What the fuck -- don’t you see that the boss is busy?... Why don’t you knock on the door before entering like that,” says the other guard in the room.    

“It’s okay, I’ll finish with this later.”  Then the man brings his attention back to Ellie.  “You’re lucky, girl, but that is going to run out soon.  I’m going to enjoy your company tonight, before our client gets here.”  The man smiles, then passes his tongue over Ellie’s face.  He releases her from the grip he has on her neck and starts to move away.  Ellie starts to gasp for air when Parker grabs her arm and pulls her up from the chair.   

“What do you want me to do with her, boss?” asks Parker.

“Put her with the boy.  Maybe we can sell them both to the new client.  Since his mother isn’t going to be any more use to us, we don’t need him anymore.”  The man takes Ellie away while the boss starts to walk toward the young man.  “Okay, let’s go and see if I can make a new deal with this man,” says the boss while he and the young man leave the dining room.

 


	12. The Rescue...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joel and Bibi are on the way to rescue Ellie and Lian from the slave camp... do they going to get there in time? Read and find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer : I do not own any character of (The Last of Us) TLOU is owned by Naughty Dog, but all the Oc character are from my invention. 
> 
> A/N: This going to be the last chapter of this part of the story. I want to thanks to all the people that is reading this story. For the people, that put comment and kudos on it, thank you I really appreciate that. But I really want to thanks to this two people, to Lumy12 that alway help me with the edition and thanks to her all this is possible for me, thank you. The other one is not in this page but she read in here some time, so thank you for all you support on this story, and for help with some of the information I need for this part of the story.

**Chapter 12 : The Rescue…?**

  
  


***Next day***

  
  


Joel and Bibi are on the way to the slaver camp.  The afternoon is passing, and they’ve been walking since they departed from the mine first thing in the morning.  The path that Bibi told him to take isn’t an easy one, which could be the reason people don't use it much.  They have to get to a border cliff before they can get to a bridge that crosses it.  After that, there is another path before they can get to the valley where the slaver camp is.  Joel is walking in silence behind the woman, trying to think of how he is going to do this.  He is looking at Ellie’s ring that he has in his hand now, trying not to think about the worst thing that can happen to her.  He knows this type of people, and what they do to women, and how much they make them suffer.  He is just hoping that he can get there in time to rescue his Ellie.  He needs her now more than ever; she is the reason he’s still alive, and he is not going to let these men take her away from him.  And after he rescues her, he is going to make sure that these people don’t do this to anyone else.  And with all the guns he took from that mine, he is sure that these people are going down.   

 

(The night before)

_ “Hey, how do you feel?” asks Bibi while she walks close to the fire pit. _

_ “I’m fine.  We shouldn’t be wasting time here,” answers Joel while sitting close to the fire.  _

_ “There isn’t much we can do for now… it’s freezing out there at night.  I know that you want to go there and rescue your... wife.  I get that.  I want  to get my boy back too, but even though the storm passed, it’s still snowing out there, and we can't help them if we’re dead.” _

_ “Yeah, but I can’t sit here and do nothing while Ellie is in the hands of those men.”  _

_ “Yeah, I get that, but what do you think they’re going to do to my boy now, after they tell their boss that I betrayed them?”   _

_ “Maybe none of this would’ve happened if you didn’t call and tell them about us.  Anyway, you told me that you have some weapons here, so I want to see them.”   _

_ “Oh, yeah… the weapons... Okay, follow me.”  Bibi moves around and finds 2 torches, takes them to the fire, and lights them up.  She gives one to Joel and starts walking deeper into the mine. _

_ Bibi guides Joel to another part of the mine.  The mine is big and has a lot of tunnels, but as it’s been abandoned for a long time, most of them are closed or blocked by rocks.  Joel is following her when he notices that his clothes aren’t the ones he had on the day before. _

_ “Hey, you told me that you pushed me into a river and I hit my head, right?” asks Joel curiously.  _

_ “Yeah, why are you asking me that again?” the woman answers without looking back at Joel. _

_ “Well, because I don't remember having these clothes yesterday.”  _

_ “Oh, that… right.  Well, like I said, we landed in the river that is close to here.  The water was freezing, so we needed to get out of the wet clothes as soon as I brought you here, and--”  _

_ “Wait a minute -- are you saying that you changed my clothes?” _

_ “Well, yeah... if I didn't, you’d be dead by now.”    _

_ “So you saw me... naked?!” Joel asks in surprise. _

_ “Oh… don't worry, I tried not to look... much!  You know.  But I had to do that to save your life.” _

_ “Well, it’s better if you don’t mention any of that to Ellie when we rescue her.  I don't think that she’s going to take that very well, you know.”   _

_ After a few minutes, they arrive at another section of the mine where Bibi stores some stuff.  She and her father stashed a few things there that they found on the mountain during the time he lived there.  The place is pitch black; only the torch is lighting the place.  As soon as they enter, the woman puts her torch on a piece of metal in the wall.  When the place lights up, Joel sees all the things she has there: tools, food, clothes, shoes, and some other things that they managed to find around.  Joel is a little surprised with some of the things there... some of the things she has don’t even work without electricity, but they are in good condition. _

_ “Where are the weapons?” Joel asks as soon as he finishes checking out the cavern.  _

_ “This way,” Bibi says as she guides Joel to another section in there.  “They are in here... check everything you need, and let me know.  I’m going to look for a box that I found a few months ago,” says the woman while she walks away.    _

_ Joel starts to check the guns that are on top of some wooden boxes and a table.  There are some machine guns, a revolver, a few 9mm, one M60, and a few M16 military issue.  Also some melee weapons, like knives, axes, bats, and some other things.  Joel is really surprised at how much this woman has... all those kinds of weapons.   _ **_Shit!  Who does this woman think she is -- Rambo?_ ** _   After a few minutes, Bibi comes back with a wooden box in her hands. _

_ “Did you find anything you like!?” asks the woman, smiling as she gets close to Joel. _

_ “Shit!  Woman, where did you get all this?  It looks like you’re preparing yourself for a little war,” asks Joel while checking one of the M16s.  _

_ “My father and I found a military truck stuck in the mountain last year.  And when he found this mine, we started to stock all we could find here.  The truck must’ve been stuck in the snow for a few years before we found it… the soldiers in there were frozen to death.  But they had a lot of guns and ammo, so we took all we could.”   _

_ “Well, that is interesting.  Yeah, I think that these weapons can help us.  Do you know how many men there are?” _

_ “Not sure... they always come here for the provisions they need, and I’ve only gone to their camp twice.  But I can assure you that there are more than ten people there.  Also, we need to sneak in and find where Ellie and my son are before they know we’re there or they’re going to kill them.” _

_ “Oh, don't worry about that.  I’ve been doing this for a long time.  I just need to know how much that place is strengthened?”  _

_ “Not much, but I think that we can take care of that with this,” says Bibi while she shows Joel the contents of the box that she brought to the room. _

_ Joel opens his eyes wider and looks at the woman. “Yeah, I think that’s going to help a lot.” _

 

( Present time)

“How much time is it going to take to get there?” asks Joel desperately.

“The small bridge that we need to cross is after that hill, but it’s going to take us a few hours to get there,” the woman tells Joel, pointing forward.  “Also, we have to take a little mountain path after that, and that’s too dangerous to cross during the night.”    

“Shit!  It’s going to be dark by the time we cross the bridge.  I don't want to wait another day to get there.”

“Sorry, but we don't have another choice, if we want to get there alive.  The path that I told you is too dangerous and impossible to cross at night.  So we need to wait until tomorrow morning to cross that.”  Joel isn’t happy that it’s going to take another day to get to the camp.  And he doesn't want Ellie to be there for that long.  

  
  


***In the slaver camp***

  
  
Ellie wakes up with a small hand passing a rag over her forehead.  She quickly grabs the hand to stop it when she hears a voice -- a child’s voice.  “Hey -- I’m just trying to help, so let go of my arm!” says a boy that is sitting beside her mattress on the floor.

“What the hel--?”  Ellie stops herself quickly after she notices it’s a little boy.  “Who are you, and how did I get here?” 

“They brought you here, hmmm, after lunch time, I guess.   You were sleeping, so they put you on the mattress.  But then I saw that you have a cut on your face, so I thought that it was better to clean that up... does that hurt?” asks the little boy.

Ellie looks at the boy, surprised, not remembering much after that sicko sent her away from the dining room.  She doesn't know who this boy is or what he’s doing here, but since she feels some pain in her head, something must have happened.  She looks at the boy: he is white, with black hair, and blue eyes.  He looks like 5 or 6 years old, and he’s wearing a long red shirt with black pants.  Then Ellie passes her hand over the right side of her face that now feels like it’s on fire, and it feels like she has a broken lip, too. 

Ellie is looking around the room when she hears the boy speak again.  “My name is Liam, and I'm 6,” says the boy, looking at Ellie with some curiosity.  “Are you a guest here too?  What’s your name?”

Ellie turns her head and looks at the boy.  “Is that what you are here?” Ellie asks, not believing that these people have a 6-year-old boy here in a voluntary way.  She thinks for a moment about if she can tell the boy her name or not.  She doesn’t want to lie to the boy, but she doesn't know anything about him or what he’s doing here, so it’s better to keep her name out of it for the time been.  “My name is Ana... where are your parents?...They live in here?” asks Ellie.

“I don't have a dad.  I’ve always lived with my mom and grandpa, but after my grandpa died, these people told me that my mom is going to be busy.  So they’re going to take care of me for a while, and if I’m a good boy, my mom can come to visit me sometimes,” says the boy, standing up and moving to sit in a chair that is across from the mattress.  

Ellie tried not to think what these men did to his mother, knowing now what they’re going to do with her.  If she’s still in here... or maybe she is part of this group, but Ellie doubts that.  Then she starts to remember what happened after she was forced out of the building.   _ One of the 2 guys that were escorting her started to touch her, and tell the other one that the boss was going to have some fun tonight.  But when they were close to one of the cabins, the other one grabbed her ass hard, and said that maybe they can have some fun, too, before the boss does.  Ellie knew they were going to rape her, so maybe this was her chance to try to get away from there.  She observed that there weren’t many guards close to them, so maybe she could make it out, if she acted fast.  So she turned around and pushed one of the men so hard that he fell backward to the ground.  The other one grabbed her by the arm quickly, but she turned again and kicked the man in the balls.  As the man started to drop to his knees in pain and lose his grip on her, Ellie started to run away, when the other man was recovering.  And before she could get away, the man that was on the floor first stood up and punched her in the face very hard _ , _ and knocked her out _ . That is the last thing she remembers.  

Ellie moves her hand to her belly at the memory, trying to make sure that they didn’t hit her there.  She doesn’t feel any pain there, so she assumes that they only hit her in the face and knocked her out.  Ellie looks at the boy again, feeling sad for him.  He looks so innocent, and probably believes all the things those men told him.  Ellie wishes to know what really happened to his mother… did they kill her, or just sell her -- like they plan to do with Ellie?  “How long have you been here?” Ellie finally asks the boy. 

“I don't know... my mom said that she was coming for me when she was done with the work.  But she hasn’t come yet, so she’s still working, I guess,” says the boy innocently.

Ellie stays sitting on the mattress, thinking about what those men are going to do when they come back tonight.  But she’s hoping that Joel gets here before they have the chance to do something to her.  The boss told her that his men killed him and Bibi, but she knows that somehow, Joel is out there looking for her.  She knows Joel and she is sure that he’s not going down that easy. 

_ Please, Joel, get here soon... I'm sorry I didn’t tell you before… but please, you need to save us both.  _

 

(Later at night with Joel)

Joel and Bibi cross the little bridge that crosses over a river, and take the path to another mountain.  By the time they do that, night has fallen, so Bibi guides Joel to an old watchtower that was used by the forest patrol back in the day.  She found that place some time ago, and luckily for them, the tower is in good condition, and with all the windows intact.  They only have to make a little fire to keep themselves warm during the night.

“How do you know about this place?” asks Joel, getting close to the fire they made there. 

“I found this place the first time... I found this mountain path.  It was a miracle that this place didn’t suffer major damage,” says Bibi while taking out some food from her bag for them to eat. 

“How much is it going to take to get to their camp from here?” asks Joel with a desperate tone.

“It’s not very far... I can say like two hours, to cross the mountain cliff, and a little more after that.  So I think that we can be there before noon… now take this,” answers the woman while she passes Joel some of their food to eat.

Joel grabs the food and starts to eat in silence.  After he finishes, he stands up and walks toward one of the glass windows.  He tries to be calm, but he can't stop thinking about Ellie; he has a bad feeling about all this.  He knows that she is a strong girl, but that doesn’t change the fact that he needs to be there to protect her.  He promised himself to always be there for her and protect her, but now he feels like he failed on that.  Joel reaches into his pocket and pulls out the ring that he gave to Ellie -- the one she left behind -- and starts to look at it.  He starts to remember Ellie’s face when he gave her the ring and asked her to be his wife.  Even though they need to do that officially, Ellie was so happy that she didn’t even care -- for her, he was her husband.  Some tears start to fall from Joel’s eyes; lucky for him, his back is to the woman that is sitting in there with him.  The woman responsible for all this, who is now trying to help them.  _ I’m going to get you back, I promise,  _ says Joel to himself, now looking to the dark of the night. 

 

(Next morning)

Joel and Bibi leave the watchtower early in the morning.  After two hours of walking, they arrive at the mountain cliff.  Joel didn’t get any sleep that night, thinking about Ellie and what he is going to do when he finds the camp.  The cliff path is very dangerous, and difficult to cross, but after one hour, they manage to get to the other side.  As soon as they get around the side of the mountain, Joel sees a lot of smoke coming from the valley down the hill in front of them.  

“What the hell is that?” asks Joel, looking at the smoke.

“Oh… no, no -- that’s coming from their camp!” answers Bibi with a frightened expression on her face. “It looks like the whole place is on fire!” 

“Ellie!” Joel moves quickly and starts running down the hill toward the valley, not worrying about what he is going to find in there.  Bibi follows him, wondering what happened there.  It’s not only Ellie -- her son is down there, too.  It takes them a little less than an hour to get close to the camp, because of the snow.  Joel takes out his magnum and starts to move close to one of the small cabins that’s not on fire.

He moves through the side of the structure until he gets to the corner, and starts to look around, trying to see if there’s someone there.  He sees some of the cabins there on fire, but he can't see any people in sight.    

“Fuck!... looks like... this place was attacked... by someone,” says Bibi as soon as she gets behind him, and tries to get some air after the long run. 

“I don't see anyone moving around, so it’s possible that the attack has stopped for now.  But that doesn’t mean that the attackers are gone.  So it’s better to find Ellie and your boy as soon as possible,” says Joel, moving away from the cabin and more inside the place.  He can see some old cars and trucks that were being used to block the surroundings of the camp.  After a few feet of walking, he sees two bodies close to a cabin that’s on fire.  He moves behind a dumpster, then close to the bodies, pointing his gun, just in case. When he doesn’t spot anyone, he kneels down to check the bodies; he notices that both of them were shot, and bled to death. 

Bibi stops behind him, and starts to look around nervously, waiting for someone to attack them. “Looks like they were attacked by another group... Do you think that they’re still around?” asks the woman.

“The gunshot wound ain’t fresh.  So I think that all this occurred during the night.”  Joel stands up and starts looking at the place desperately.  He doesn't know any of these people, so whatever happened here, he doesn't know if those bodies belong to the men that lived there or the ones who attacked them.  He doesn’t want to lose hope, and thinking that Ellie had something to do with this gives him that.  But by the look of the damage in here, he doubts that.  He starts to have a bad feeling about this, so he needs to find out if Ellie is still alive.  He turns his head to look at the woman, who seems worried.  “Do you have any idea where they might keep Ellie and your son?” asks Joel quickly.

“I’ve just been here twice... but the boss likes to keep my son close to him, so I assume that the better place to start looking is the guest house over there,” says the woman, pointing to the big house that has some damage a few feet away. 

“Okay, let’s go, and keep your eyes open.”  Joel starts to walk quickly toward the big building with his gun in hand.  The guest house isn’t completely destroyed, but some portions of it are burnt out and some places inside seem to be still on fire.  The place looks like it was hit with various explosives... probably some grenades, or homemade bombs.  On the way to the guest house, Joel sees more dead bodies.  Some of them were shot, and others look partially burned and missing some body parts.  “Do you recognize anyone?” asks Joel as soon as they get to the stairs that take them to the entrance of the guest house. 

“No!  Like I told you before, I’ve only been here twice, and I don't remember all of them.  We need to check if Ellie and Liam are hiding inside.” The woman moves quickly and enters the place; the door was destroyed, so getting inside is easy.  As soon as she gets to the lobby of the house, she starts to call her son’s name.  “Liam?... Liam, are you in here?... LIAM?”   

“Can you lower your voice?  You’re going to give up our position if some of those men are still in here,” says Joel, moving inside after following her.

“Are you fucking kidding me?... you were the one that wanted to come here quickly, and now you’re telling me to--” She stops when Joel gets close to her and grabs her arm. 

“Announcing ourselves to whoever’s still in here ain’t what I had in mind.  Besides, if it wasn’t for you, Ellie and I wouldn’t be in this situation,” says Joel, almost screaming at the woman.

“I’m sorry for that, okay, I don't know what more I can do to show you how sorry I am.  But if someone attacked them like this, we--” She stops when both hear some noise coming from one of the rooms close to the lobby.   

“There!” the woman says and starts running toward the door of the room, and as soon as she opens it --  _ kaboom, _ someone shoots at her with a shotgun.  She evades the shot in time, and moves away from the door to cover herself.

“Are you coming here for more... you motherfuckers?... did you think... this was going to be easy… come get me… asshole… I have something for you...” says a man inside the room while he reloads his weapon. 

Joel moves close to the wall that the woman is using for cover.  “How many are in there?” Joel asks quickly.

“I`m not sure, but the one who shot at me is the boss in this place,” answers the woman.

“Well... we have to get him without killing him.  We need him alive -- he must know where Ellie and your boy are.”

“Okay... that’s the dining room... he showed me that part the last time I was here.  The room has two entrances: this one, and the other is through the kitchen, that way.”

“Okay, that’s good -- he only saw you, so I’ll go through the kitchen while you distract him and--” Joel stops talking when he hears something hitting the ground inside the room.  He and Bibi move to the door and open it slowly.  When they enter the room, they see the man laying face down on the floor on the other side of the dinner table.  So both of them walk faster to where the man is, to check if he’s still alive.  Joel kneels at his side and pushes the gun away from his body, just in case.  Bibi gets down close to him and starts to look at the man’s wounds.  Joel rolls him over on to his back, so the man is facing them.  Then he puts his finger on his neck and tries to feel his pulse, to see if the man is still alive -- and he is, barely.     

“Hey, where is the girl you took from the cabin a few days ago?” Joel asks quickly while the man opens his eyes and tries to focus. 

The man coughs some blood out of his mouth while he tries to speak.  “A... girl?... I don't have… any girl…”  

Bibi turns his head to the side, so he can see her.  “Don't try to play games now, and tell me --  where is my son?” asks the woman with a hard voice.

“You!...” the man coughs again, more blood coming out.  “You betrayed me… we had a deal… and you… you broke that.”

“I don't give a fuck about that, you fuck.  Now where’s my son and the girl?” she asks again.

“You are… too late, bitch… they… took them,” says the man with a weak voice.

Joel grabs the man by the shirt and pulls him close to him.  “Who took them… tell me?”

“The Fireflies!...”

  
  


**To be Continued…. In part 3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger there, but maybe that is a good thing to keep you wondering what is going to happen next. As this part of the story ended, I want to tell you, that the part -3 is going to take a few months until I start to post it. I need to work on some of the plot for the next part, and I need to concentrate on the other one that I have, that is getting to much delay now. But don`t worry, as I told you before this story have 4 part now and I going to finish it all of them. I want to thanks again, to all the people that read this story and comment. For all the guest that put a comment here and put kudos thank you, as I can’t reply to guest people on the story. I want to do it here, so thank you for your support and for read the story, I hope that you like it. Well this going to be all for now and I wish to hear from you in the next part, that I hope is going to be up soon, thank you again. 
> 
> And see you on the next part, thank you all.


	13. Inportan Anouncement

**A/N: Hi, I just want to let you know that I starting to work on the Part -3 of this Mini-series. So for the people that are following this story I want to tell you that it probably going to start to be posted at the middle or end of September. If I get ready some chapter before that time I let you know. Thanks for you patience and for continue reading this story. I will love to have you back, and here what you think of the story in yours review. So thank you and see you soon.**

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: As always, I like to read you comment to my stories, so don't forget to left one, if you like. I really appreciate those, and thanks for read it.


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